examination of the heart 528 fully cultivate this garden, and may the many burrs and useless weeds, that is, vices, not deter or distract you from zealously tending it; and may no arduous labor make you stop. The right hand of the good and almighty God shall help your good will [f.172r]: He will send you plentiful rainfall, that is, an abundance of tears to water this garden. He will give forth the friendly west winds of graces, so that prompted by them your garden may bring forth the most abundant fruit of solid virtues, while the fragrance of your holy actions will refresh and enliven heavenly and human spirits. 2. Note that, after recovering the health of your soul with the Lord’s help, you must follow a different road, lest you fall among the most dangerous bandits: the world, the flesh, and their companion, hell. For if people avoid the places where they sustained at some point the loss of their temporal goods with great labor, enormous effort, and great zeal, you should flee much more prudently even the least occasions, even the very small imperfections that make you lose the treasure of the heavenly glory and despoil you of it. May the sons of darkness be not found more prudent in this aspect than you, a son of light (cf. Lk 16:1-8). Therefore, you should avoid conceit so that you would not be despoiled of humility; you should avoid the winds of vain praise, lest you be driven into the most dangerous rocks of many evil deeds; you should avoid gluttony, lest you fall into lust; you should avoid quarrels, lest you harm charity; you should avoid idleness, lest you become the devil’s couch; you should avoid all extravagance, lest you fall into condemnation. Formerly you have sinned by disobedience; now recover by obedience the crowns lost. You have averted and distracted your thoughts by talkativeness; focus them again by silence. You fell out of God’s grace through pride; take care to have it restored through humility. You lost Heaven by idleness; gain it back by work, devotion, and the practice of virtues. Put on a different man that you may experience a different Savior of men: however angry He was with you on account of your sins, He will become
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