The Way of the Seven Fold Secret by Lilias Trotter

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wolf, who endanger those who follow afar off,* and look
at the Good Shepherd and the sheep who stay in His
care. They are "His own", not by force but because He
has paid the price of His life for them, and none shall
pluck them out of His Hand.
And instead of listening to the call of the stranger
who tempts them, or the cry of the wolf who terrifies
them, His sheep hear His voice.
This means that you must look up with the vision of
the heart to the Person of Christ, and listen for the
impress of His will on your will through His words,t that
is, through the Book of the Gospel that was written to be
the means of communication with the souls of His
people. And as you become familiar with them He will
by :His Spirit bring them to your memory as you need
them, to be your defence in the dangers of the way, even
as David said in the Psalms: ''Thy word have I hid in
my heart that I might not sin against Thee."t You may
grow so to follow His voice that even your thoughts
will be brought "into captivity to the obedience of Christ".**
This bondage is perfect freedom, for we desire, He and
we, only one and the same thing, and the true heartlove
makes it all joy to follow, even if the path is narrow and
rough.
And the last words at the head of this chapter tell
us "I give unto them eternal l~fe, and they shall never
perish", and these are further explained in the secret that
is disclosed to us in the next of these seven sayings of
Christ.
• "I am the Good Shepherd and know My sheep and am known
of mine." (John 10. 14.)
t "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are
life". (John 6. 63)
+ Ps. ng. II • • 2. Cor. IO. 5.