How We Should Receive Inspirations.
We call inspirations all the attractions of grace, the good movements, the reproaches and remorse of conscience, the inward lights, and generally all the blessings with which God forestalls our heart through the pure effect of His fatherly goodness, whether to awaken us from our slumber, or to engage us in the practice of the virtues, to kindle in us His holy love, and, in a word, to make us seek all that can lead us to eternal blessings. This is what the Bridegroom of the Canticles calls knocking at the door of His Bride, speaking to her heart, awakening her when she sleeps, calling her when she is absent, inviting her to taste His honey, to gather fruits and flowers in His garden, to sing and make her sweet voice resound in His ears. I need a comparison to make myself clearly understood.
For a marriage to be fully concluded, three things must take place with regard to the person whom one wishes to marry: first, the match is proposed to her; second, she welcomes the proposal; third, she consents. Thus, when God wishes to accomplish in us, through us and for us, some actions of great worth, first, He proposes them to us by His inspiration; second, this proposal pleases us; third, we consent to it. For just as there are three stages in descending into sin—the temptation, the delight, and the consent—so too there are three in ascending to virtue: the inspiration, which corresponds to the temptation; the pleasure taken in the inspiration, which corresponds to the delight in the temptation; and consent to the inspiration, which corresponds to the consent one gives to the temptation.
We call inspirations all the attractions of grace, the good movements, the reproaches and remorse of conscience, the inward lights, and generally all the blessings with which God forestalls our heart through the pure effect of His fatherly goodness, whether to awaken us from our slumber, or to engage us in the practice of the virtues, to kindle in us His holy love, and, in a word, to make us seek all that can lead us to eternal blessings. This is what the Bridegroom of the Canticles calls knocking at the door of His Bride, speaking to her heart, awakening her when she sleeps, calling her when she is absent, inviting her to taste His honey, to gather fruits and flowers in His garden, to sing and make her sweet voice resound in His ears. I need a comparison to make myself clearly understood.
For a marriage to be fully concluded, three things must take place with regard to the person whom one wishes to marry: first, the match is proposed to her; second, she welcomes the proposal; third, she consents. Thus, when God wishes to accomplish in us, through us and for us, some actions of great worth, first, He proposes them to us by His inspiration; second, this proposal pleases us; third, we consent to it. For just as there are three stages in descending into sin—the temptation, the delight, and the consent—so too there are three in ascending to virtue: the inspiration, which corresponds to the temptation; the pleasure taken in the inspiration, which corresponds to the delight in the temptation; and consent to the inspiration, which corresponds to the consent one gives to the temptation.
If the inspiration were to last throughout our whole life, we should nevertheless be in no wise pleasing to God, if we took no delight therein; and, on the contrary, God would be offended thereby, as He was by the conduct of the Israelites, among whom He was for forty years, as He Himself saith, urging them to be converted, yet they would never hearken thereto; wherefore He swore an oath against them that they should never enter into His rest.
The delight which we take in inspirations is a great way of advancement toward the glory of God, and is already a beginning of pleasing His divine Majesty; for, if this delight be not yet a perfect consent, it is at least a certain disposition to consent; and, as it is a very good sign and a thing of great profit to take pleasure in hearing the word of God, which is as it were an outward inspiration, so also is it a very good and most pleasing thing to God to take pleasure in inward inspirations. It is of this delight that the sacred Bride speaketh, when she saith: _My soul melted with joy when my Beloved spake unto me._
The delight which we take in inspirations is a great way of advancement toward the glory of God, and is already a beginning of pleasing His divine Majesty; for, if this delight be not yet a perfect consent, it is at least a certain disposition to consent; and, as it is a very good sign and a thing of great profit to take pleasure in hearing the word of God, which is as it were an outward inspiration, so also is it a very good and most pleasing thing to God to take pleasure in inward inspirations. It is of this delight that the sacred Bride speaketh, when she saith: _My soul melted with joy when my Beloved spake unto me._
Finally, in order that the act may be perfect, consent is necessary; for if, having received the inspiration, and even having approved it, we nevertheless refuse to consent thereto, it is clear that we strangely misjudge God, and greatly offend His divine Majesty; for it would seem that there is more contempt in acting thus than if we had at once rejected His inspirations. This is what befell the bride in the Canticles; the voice of her Beloved had touched her heart with holy joy; yet she would not open the door to Him, and excused herself on frivolous pretexts; whereupon the bridegroom, seeing this with just indignation, passed on and left her. Be resolved, then, Philothea, to accept with a willing heart all the inspirations which it shall please God to send you; and when they come, receive them as ambassadors of the heavenly King, Who desires to enter into alliance with you. Listen peacefully to their proposals, consider the love of Him Who sends them to you, and welcome them affectionately. After this, consent, but with a full, eager, and steadfast consent; and thus God, Who can have no obligation to you, will nevertheless be pleased with your correspondence to His love. But if the inspiration concern anything important or extraordinary, suspend your consent until you have consulted your director, and he has examined whether it be true or false. For it often happens that the enemy, seeing a soul quick to consent to inspirations, suggests false ones to it, in order to deceive it: which he can never do so long as that soul obeys its director with humility.
Once consent has been given, we must take the utmost care to bring about its effects and to put the inspiration into action, which is the perfection of true virtue. For to have consent in the heart without ever bringing it to effect would be like planting a vineyard without wishing it to bear fruit.
Now, to this end, it is most advantageous to practise the morning exercise, as well as the spiritual retreats of which I have spoken above; for by this means we prepare ourselves to do good, with a preparation not only general, but also particular.
Now, to this end, it is most advantageous to practise the morning exercise, as well as the spiritual retreats of which I have spoken above; for by this means we prepare ourselves to do good, with a preparation not only general, but also particular.