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Handing there, he heard a voice from God 

 which fpake thefe words : " O poor weak 

 foul, why art thou difturbed ? Should man 

 leave God for his fellow man ? Brother 

 Bernard, when you cried unto him, was 

 conjoined with Me, and hence he could 

 not come to thee, neither could he make 

 anfwer unto thee ; therefore marvel not 

 that he anfwered thee not, fmce his foul 

 was fo far removed from his body that he 

 heard not any of thy words." Saint Fran- 

 cis, having this anfwer from God, imme- 

 diately returned again with much fpeed to 

 Brother Bernard, humbly to accufe himfelf 

 of the evil thoughts which he had cherifhed 

 towards him. And feeing him draw nigh, 

 Brother Bernard went out to meet him 

 and fell down before him ; and then Saint 

 Francis raifed him up, and with all humil- 

 ity told his thoughts, and the trouble which 

 he had felt concerning him, and how that 

 God had made anfwer unto him in the mat- 

 ter ; hence he concluded thus : " I charge 

 you by your facred vow of obedience that 

 you do do the things which I fhall com- 

 mand you." Brother Bernard, fearing left 

 Saint Francis fhould require of him fome 

 exceffive thing, as was his wont, made honeft 



endeavor 



