| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from A treatise on Good Works by Dr. Martin Luther: works, in the privacy of his home joyfully praises God when he
fares well, or with entire confidence calls upon Him when he
fares ill, and thereby does a greater and more acceptable work
than another, who fasts much, prays much, endows churches, makes
pilgrimages, and burdens himself with great deeds in this place
and in that. Such a fool opens wide his mouth, looks for great
works to do, and is so blinded that he does not at all notice
this greatest work, and praising God is in his eyes a very small
matter compared with the great idea he has formed of the works
of his own devising, in which he perhaps praises himself more
than God, or takes more pleasure in them than he does in God; and
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from On Horsemanship by Xenophon: To meet the case in which the horseman may chance to be leading his
horse with the left hand and carrying his spear in the right, it would
be good, we think, for every one to practise vaulting on to his seat
from the right side also. In fact, he has nothing else to learn except
to do with his right limbs what he has previously done with the left,
and vice versa. And the reason we approve of this method of mounting
is[8] that it enables the soldier at one and the same instant to get
astride of his horse and to find himself prepared at all points,
supposing he should have to enter the lists of battle on a sudden.
[8] Lit. "One reason for the praise which we bestow on this method of
mounting is that at the very instant of gaining his seat the
On Horsemanship |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie: be a fake. No girl could deceive ME! . . .
". . .The 29th.... That is very soon...." Mr. Carter paused.
"I will not read the details of the coup that was planned. But
there are just two small entries that refer to the three of you.
In the light of what happened they are interesting.
". . . By inducing the girl to come to me of her own accord, I
have succeeded in disarming her. But she has intuitive flashes
that might be dangerous.... She must be got out of the way.... I
can do nothing with the American. He suspects and dislikes me.
But he cannot know. I fancy my armour is impregnable....
Sometimes I fear I have underestimated the other boy. He is not
Secret Adversary |
