If a poor man, or rather thyself by a poor man, ask of me assistance, I will cheerfully give it, for thou askest back thy own; and yet (which is merely thy charity) thou promisest me for it a hundredfold. Can I, then, distrust thee, or ever send any one empty and sorrowful away? By no means; so I resolve before thee, and the heavenly court.
Whatever I know too from reason, the counsel of the wise, or thy own inspiration, to be for thy greater (not my) glory, that I am ready to do. What I must give up once at my death, I had rather give up, from affection, now for thy sake. What is to be lost I am willing to lose now, that it may be kept by thee for thyself, and so for me. I now renounce all things that I may be thy disciple.
What if the world does not understand this, whose practice it is to lay up treasures here, to join house to house,[1] to advance their families, to live in splendour, to walk in great matters,[2] to seek a great name! Oh, that by thy grace, I at least may desire to be among thy disciples and faithful stewards, as one who am shortly to give an account of my stewardship, and to answer to thy inquiry why I have not put out thy talents to interest, for thee I cannot deceive! I know what I should require of my own servant; I know what thou wilt require of me. Oh, let me not be a servant that knows his Lord's will, and does it not!
With my whole heart, therefore, I give thee myself and all that I have. In affection, now behold, I am a poor man. Behold, I have left all, and follow thee. What, therefore, shall I have? Thee, my God, and all my good.
Thou art my exceeding great reward;[3] thou art my portion and my inheritance; and why should it not content me? Nay, even now thou givest me thyself, that is, thy Body and Blood, and promisest me besides a hundredfold, and eternal life. I believe thee, for thou art truth, and every man is a liar; I believe thee, for thou art goodness supreme, and canst not be outdone in thy bounty; for we do but render to thee what is really thine. Accept it, O God of my heart, for with sincerity of heart I offer it; and, whenever thou pleasest, receive me, poor in this world’s goods, but rich in thy gifts, into thy everlasting dwellings. Amen.
