17. In What Way Devotion Is Gained Most Perfectly, and What Things Hinder and What Altogether Prevent It. Now for Anyone Desirous of Possessing in the Highest Perfection This Gift of Devotion, to Gether with All the Virtues Which Spring Out of It, It Is Necessary That He Have a Mind Tranquil and Calm, Without Curiosity in Matters or Issues Which Are External to It, But Always Persevering in Simplicity, and That He Be Gentle. for He Who Is Mild-mannered Nourishes Piety Without Repining ; and It Is Necessary for Sustaining the Life of Things That He Exercise a Common Compassion Upon All the Needy and the Poor, and That He Attend to and Consider This Diligently, by Helping Them by Acts of Virtue Joined with Right Reason and a True Discretion, and That He Be Liberal in Charity and Ministering Deeds of Compassion, Which Forsooth Can Be Omitted by No One, Nor, Too, Let Him Minister It by Favour, Nor to Kinsmen Merely, But Let Him Exercise a Common Kindness Toward Each in Accordance with the Dictates of Right Reason ; and Besides, That He Be Ever Cheerful in Ad Verse Circumstances and in Afflictions, and Let Him Offer Praises and Thanks to God ; to This End, That He Be Zealous of a Free Spirit, and Deny His Nature in True Patience. He Who Is Gentle Leads an Excellent Life Without Repining. Four Things There Are Which Hinder a Man from Obtaining Devotion in the Highest Perfection : — I. That He Be Easily Moved ; That He Be Agitated in His Senses, and Externally and Internally Confused and Aroused. This Allows Not a Man to Be Gentle. Ii. to Sympathise with Friends and Kins Men Rather Than with the Generality of Men, or All Men in Common. Iii. to Give Charity Not Because of a Necessity Discovered, But by Favour, Belongs to a Man Wavering and Hesitating in Virtue

IV. They who bear afflictions hardly are not able to rejoice at the highest giving of thanks. These things cause a man to fail in the perfection of devotion, but some times they wholly drive out devotion itself.

There are still certain other things which despoil a man and deprive him of eternal happiness. A savage, furious, raging disposition is one devoid of kindness or devotion.

Nothing is further from the tyrant than to sympathise with anyone ; and therefore all men deservedly hold a man of this kind in detestation. To be ever burning with desire of wealth is exceedingly disgusting, and this is to lead a life devoid of devotion. To be impatient, and gloomy and bitter in afflic tions or sufferings, causes tortures to a man and increases his sorrows, not does it simply deprive him of the virtue of gentleness, but also leads him into endless wretchedness and calamities.