HOW OUR SAVIOUR'S LOVING ATTRACTIONS ASSIST AND ACCOMPANY US TO FAITH AND CHARITY.
BETWEEN the first awaking from sin or infidelity to the final
resolution of a perfect belief, there often runs a good deal of
time in which we are able to pray, as we have seen S. Pachomius did, and as that poor lunatic's father, who, as S. Mark
relates, giving assurance that he believed, that is, that he began
to believe, knew at the same time that he did not believe sufficiently; whence he cried out: I do believe, Lord help my unbelief,1
as though he would say: I am no longer in the obscurity
of the night of infidelity, the rays of your faith already
enlighten the horizon of my soul: but still I do not yet believe
as I ought; it is a knowledge as yet weak and mixed with
darkness; Ah! Lord, help me. And the great S. Augustine
solemnly pronounces these remarkable words: "But listen, O
man! and understand. Art thou not drawn? pray, in order
that thou mayest be drawn." In which words his intention is
not to speak of the first movement which God works in us without us, when he excites and awakens us out of the sleep of sin:
Our Saviour draws hearts by the delights that he gives them, which make them find heavenly doctrine sweet and agreeable, but, until this sweetness has engaged and fastened the will by its beloved bonds to draw it to the perfect acquiescence and consent of faith, as God does not fail to exercise his greatness upon us by his holy inspirations, so does not our enemy cease to practise his malice by temptations. And meantime we remain in full liberty, to consent to the divine drawings or to reject them; for as the sacred Council of Trent has clearly decreed: "If any one should say that man's freewill, being moved and incited by God, does not in any way co-operate, by consenting to God, who moves and calls him that he may dispose and prepare himself to obtain the grace of justification, and that he is unable to refuse consent though he would," truly such a man would be excommunicated, and reproved by the Church. But if we do not repulse the grace of holy love, it dilates itself by continual increase in our souls, until they are entirely converted; like great rivers, which finding open plains spread themselves, and ever take up more space.
But if the inspiration, having drawn us to faith, find no resistance in us, it draws us also to penitence and charity. S. Peter,
as an apode, raised by the inspiration which came from the eyes
of his master, freely letting himself be moved and carried by this
So then to conclude this point, the soul, prevented by grace, feeling the first drawings, and consenting to their sweetness, as if returning to herself after a long swoon, begins to sigh out these words: Ah! my dear spouse, my friend! Draw me, I beseech thee, and take hold of me under my arms, for otherwise I am not able to walk: but if thou draw me we run, thou in helping me by the odour of thy perfumes, and I corresponding by my weak consent, and by relishing thy sweetnesses which strengthen and reinvigorate me, till the balm of thy sacred name, that is the salutary ointment of my justification be poured out over me. Do you see, Theotimus, she would not pray if she were not excited; but as soon as she is, and feels the attractions, she prays that she may be drawn; being drawn she runs, nevertheless she would not run if the perfumes which draw her and by which she is drawn did not inspirit her heart by the power of their precious odour; and as her course is more swift, and as she approaches nearer her heavenly spouse, she has ever a more delightful sense of the sweetnesses which he pours out, until at last he himself flows out in her heart, like a spread balm, whence she cries, as being surprised by this delight, not so quickly expected, and as yet unlooked for: O my spouse, thou art as balm poured into my bosom; it is no marvel that young souls cherish thee dearly.
In this way, my dear Theotimus, the divine inspiration comes
to us, and prevents use moving our wills to sacred love. And if