cSai'nt jFrancis ot 'JXnmnL 137 



Divine Love and faid, ** Well doft thou, fon, 

 to put thy faith in l^rother Francis, forafmuch 

 as he who affli6led thee was the Devil ; but 

 I am Chrift thy Mafter : and that you may 

 be well affured of this, I give you this fign : 

 while you live, you lliall never know any 

 forrow, neither any grief." And faying 

 thefe words, Chrift departed thence, leav- 

 ing him with fuch Rejoicing and fuch fvveet- 

 nefs of fpirit and elevation of mind that 

 day and night he was abforbed and rapt in 

 God. And from that time forth he was fo 

 confirmed in Grace and in the fure fenfe of 

 his Salvation, that he was wholly changed 

 to another man ; and he would fain have 

 remained day and night in prayer and in 

 contemplation of Divine Things, would oth- 

 ers have but let him. Hence Saint Fran- 

 cis faid concerning him, that Brother Rufus 

 was canonized of Chrift in this life, and that 

 fave in his prefence he hefitated not to call 

 him Saint Rufus, albeit he yet lived upon 

 this earth. 



