The same course must be pursued in refusing the things which are contrary to God's Will. Do not refuse them till you have first fixed the eye of the understanding upon His Divine Will, Who wills that you should refuse them for the sake of pleasing Him.
Know, however, that we little suspect how deceitful and crafty our nature is, which is ever secretly seeking self, for we are often led to imagine that our object and motive is to please God, when it is quite the reverse.
Thus it comes to pass, that when we choose or refuse any thing for our own interest, we fancy that we are choosing or refusing it in the hope of pleasing, or fear of displeasing God.
The true and inward remedy for this delusion is purity of heart, which consists in this (which is really the aim of all this spiritual combat), namely—the putting off the old man, and the putting on the new.
In order to be well prepared, seeing you are full of self, beware at the beginning of every action, lest there be any admixture of selfish motives, and free yourself as much as possible from them. Neither choose, nor do, nor refuse any thing, unless you feel yourself moved and drawn to that course by the pure and simple Will of God.
If you cannot always feel that you are actuated
