all that god asks you most pressingly
is to go out of yourself and let god be god in you
god is a god of the present
which takes you and receives you as you are found now
not as you have been but as you are now
you should know that god must act and pour fully into the moment you are found ready
we should be able to recognize true and perfect love
by whether or not someone has great hope and confidence in god
for there is nothing that testifies more clearly to perfect love than trust
though it may be called a nescience and unknowing
yet there is in it more all-knowing and understanding than without it
for this unknowing lures and attracts you from all understood things
and from yourself as well
the lack of peace that you feel can only come from your own self-will
whether you are aware of this or not
start with yourself therefore
and take leave of yourself
truly if you do not depart from yourself
then wherever you take refuge you will find obstacles and unrest
wherever it may be
those who seek peace in external things whether in places or devotional practices people or works
in withdrawal from the world or poverty or self-abasement
however great these things may be or whatever their character
they are still nothing at all and cannot be the source of peace
those who seek in this way seek wrongly
and the father they range the less they find what they are looking for
they proceed like someone who has lost their way
the farther they go the more lost they become
but what then should they do
first of all they should renounce themselves
and then they will have renounced all things
truly if someone were to renounce a kingdom or the whole world while still holding onto themselves
then they would have renounced nothing at all
and indeed if someone renounces themselves then whatever they might keep
whether it be a kingdom or honor or whatever it may be
they will still have renounced all these things
treat all things as if they were loaned to you without any ownership
with a body or soul sense or strength
external goods or honors
house or hall
everything
only those for whom god is present in all things
and who make the very best use of their reason know what true peace is
and truly possess heaven