§ 4. The Assistance of Grace.

When thou art going to undertake anything, raise thy heart to God, ask counsel of Him, and call upon Him; knowing that unless He help thee with His grace, thou canst neither do nor say anything accept able in His sight.

Observe diligently what God may speak to thy heart, and whether it be reasonable and agreeable to Him that thou shouldst do this or that. If thou art uncertain whether thy inclination be from God, observe whether thou wouldst be ready to follow the will of God, if it were made clear to thee. And if thou findest thyself wholly disposed to follow the will of God, and humbly beseechest Him to enlighten and to teach thee; then thou mayest trust that what thou art most drawn to is from God, provided it be in accordance with Holy Scripture and the teaching of the Church.

It is, nevertheless, advisable that thou shouldst seek to ascertain the will of God from some one who is enlightened and fears God; and that chiefly in difficult affairs, on account of the wiles of Satan, who 140sometimes transforms himself into an angel of light (2 Cor. xi. 14).