Reflections on
the Life of
Madame Jeanne de la Mothe Guyon.
Her second visit to the city of Orleans. Interview and conversation with a' Jesuit. Remarks upon it. Comments on undue spiritual earnestness or spiritual impetuosity.
I will here mention an incident of a religious nature, which seems to be worth noticing. In the latter part of the year 1763, she visited the city of Orleans a second time, for the purpose of being present at the marriage of her brother. While there, she became acquainted with an individual of the society of the Jesuits, who exhibited some interest in hearing the details of her religious experience. She corresponded to this desire, with much vivacity and very fully. The effort to relate her feelings reacted upon herself, and gave a high degree of sensible satisfaction, in distinction from that satisfaction which results solely from the discharge of duty, — so that she was led to speak of her views and feelings at much length. This conversation, which to most persons, would have appeared commendable rather than otherwise, caused her considerable regret afterwards. She began to see, that, in the progress of religion, it is not only necessary to do the right thing, but to do it in the right spirit. The source of her sorrow was, that she found on reflection that she had spoken from the life of nature, not excluding a degree of self-gratulation, which she probably did not perceive at the time, — and not wholly from a single eye to God's glory.
"I was too forward," she says, "and free in speaking to him of spiritual things, thinking I was doing well; but I experienced an inward condemnation for it afterwards. The conversation, in itself considered, might not have been objectionable; but the manner of it, or rather the inward spirit, of it, was to some degree wrong. And I was so sensible that the spirit of nature, in distinction from the spirit of grace, dictated in part what I said, and was so afflicted at it, that I was kept, with divine aid, from falling into the like fault again. How often do we mistake nature for grace! Sanctification does not necessarily imply a want of earnestness. Far from it. A holy soul, feeling the importance of holiness as no other one can, cannot be otherwise than earnest. But that holy earnestness which comes wholly from God, is entirely inconsistent with the presence and operation of all those influences, whatever they may be, which are separate from God."
There is much truth in these views, which we find here and elsewhere in her writing. There is undoubtedly such a thing as spiritual forwardness, (perhaps we may call it religious impetuosity, ) which is eminently religious in appearance, but which is sometimes much less truly and purely religious than it seems to be. This state of mind is not generally speaking, destitute of the religious element; but it is constituted of the religious element, impelled and influenced, in a greater or less degree, by the natural element. Eminently religious persons, as they go on from one variation and degree of inward experience to another, generally pass through this state at some stage of their experience; and it is generally a long time before they can perceive clearly, in opposition to their former views, that it is not the highest and best state. They learn it after a time. They perceive, in the result, of their inward teachings, that there is nothing absolutely true and absolutely safe in religion, except what is done in recollection; that is to say, which is done deliberately, in the clear perception of the object, and is done conscientiously, in the clear sense of religious duty He who acts recollectedly, and only he, can say with confidence, that he acts with a single eye to God's glory.
— from The Life of Madame Guyon (1877), Volume 1, Chapter 13.
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