Chapter 92
The Test of Hope
If e'er the sacred poem that hath made Both heav'n and earth copartners in its toil, And with lean abstinence, through many a year, Faded my brow, be destin'd to prevail Over the cruelty, which bars me forth Of the fair sheep-fold, where a sleeping lamb The wolves set on and fain had worried me, With other voice and fleece of other grain I shall forthwith return, and, standing up At my baptismal font, shall claim the wreath Due to the poet's temples: for I there First enter'd on the faith which maketh souls Acceptable to God: and, for its…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Sure Expectance Inventory
List three outcomes you wish for at work and mark which are sure expectance (grounded in grace/merit you can name) versus mere wish. For each sure expectance, cite your David (first source) and your James (second source). Then note one authority you sought in the wrong form.
Consider:
- •Sure expectance requires sources, not feelings alone
- •Public vouching does not replace examination
- •Guide stepping aside is preparation, not abandonment
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time a mentor stopped walking beside you during a hard season. Did it feel like abandonment or an independence transition?
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