328. RULES FOR DISCERNMENT OF SPIRITS
II
Further rules for understanding the different
movements produced in the soul. They serve for a more accurate discernment
of spirits and are more suitable for the second week
329. I. It is characteristic of God and His
Angels, when they act upon the soul, to give true happiness and spiritual joy,
and to banish all the sadness and disturbances which are caused by the enemy.
It is characteristic of the evil one to
fight against such happiness and consolation by proposing fallacious
reasonings, subtilties, and continual deceptions.
330. 2. God alone can give consolation to the
soul without any previous cause. It belongs solely to the Creator to come into
a soul, to leave it, to act upon it, to draw it wholly to the love of His
Divine Majesty. I said without previous cause, that is, without any preceding
perception or knowledge of any subject by which a soul might be led to such a
consolation through its own acts of intellect and will.
331. 3. If a cause precedes, both the good angel
and the evil spirit can give consolation to a soul, but for a quite different
purpose. The good angel consoles for the progress of the soul, that it may
advance and rise to what is more perfect. The evil spirit consoles for
purposes that are the contrary, and that afterwards he might draw the soul to
his own perverse intentions and wickedness.
332. 4. It is a mark of the evil spirit to
assume the appearance of an angel of light. He begins by suggesting thoughts
that are suited to a devout soul, and ends by suggesting his own. For example,
he will suggest holy and pious thoughts that are wholly in conformity with the
sanctity of the soul. Afterwards, he will endeavor little by little to end by
drawing the soul into his hidden snares and evil designs.
333. 5. We must carefully observe the whole
course of our thoughts. If the beginning and middle and end of the course of
thoughts are wholly good and directed to what is entirely right, it is a sign
that they are from the good angel. But the course of thoughts suggested to us
may terminate in something evil, or distracting, or less good than the soul
had formerly proposed to do. Again, it may end in what weakens the soul, or
disquiets it; or by destroying the peace, tranquility, and quiet which it had
before, it may cause disturbance to the soul. These things are a clear sign
that the thoughts are proceeding from the evil spirit, the enemy of our
progress and eternal salvation.
334. 6. When the enemy of our human nature has
been detected and recognized by the trail of evil marking his course and by
the wicked end to which he leads us, it will be profitable for one who has
been tempted to review immediately the whole course of the temptation. Let him
consider the series of good thoughts, how they arose, how the evil one
gradually attempted to make him step down from the state of spiritual delight
and joy in which he was, till finally he drew him to his wicked designs. The
purpose of this review is that once such an experience has been understood and
carefully observed, we may guard ourselves for the future against the
customary deceits of the enemy.
335. 7. In souls that are progressing to greater
perfection, the action of the good angel is delicate, gentle, delightful. It
may be compared to a drop of water penetrating a sponge.
The action of the evil spirit upon
such souls is violent, noisy, and disturbing. It may be compared to a drop of
water falling upon a stone.
In souls that are going from bad to worse, the action of
the spirits mentioned above is just the reverse. The reason for this is to be
sought in the opposition or similarity of these souls to the different kinds
of spirits. When the disposition is contrary to that of the spirits, they
enter with noise and commotion that are easily perceived. When the disposition
is similar to that of the spirits, they enter silently, as one coming into his
own house when the doors are open.
336. 8. When consolation is without previous
cause, as was said, there can be no deception in it, since it can proceed from
God our Lord only. But a spiritual person who has received such a consolation
must consider it very attentively, and must cautiously distinguish the actual
time of the consolation from the period which follows it. At such a time the
soul is still fervent and favored with the grace and aftereffects of the
consolation which has passed. In this second period the soul frequently forms
various resolutions and plans which are not granted directly by God our Lord.
They may come from our own reasoning on the relations of our concepts and on
the consequences of our judgments, or they may come from the good or evil
spirit. Hence, they must be carefully examined before they are given full
approval and put into execution. end of excerpt