(DP) - Angelic Wisdom about Divine Providence

DP 104

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104. Every man who has reached maturity has an external and an internal of thought, and therefore an external [and an internal] of the will and the understanding, or an external and an internal of the spirit, which is the same as the external and the internal man. This is clear to anyone who observes carefully the thoughts and intentions of another as exhibited in his speech and actions, and who observes also his own thoughts and intentions when he is in company and when he is alone. For anyone can talk with another in a friendly way from external thought, and yet be at enmity with him in internal thought. Anyone can talk about love towards the neighbour and love to God from external thought and at the same time from its affection, when nevertheless in his internal thought he cares nothing for the neighbour, and does not fear God. Anyone can talk about the justice of civil laws, about the virtues of moral life, and about matters of doctrine and the spiritual life from external thought and at the same time from external affection, and yet when alone by himself he may, from internal thought and its affection, speak against the civil laws, against moral virtues, and against matters of doctrine and the spiritual life. Those do so who are in the lusts of evil and who yet wish it to appear before the world that they are not in them.
[2] Moreover, many question within themselves, when they listen to others speaking, whether these interiorly within themselves are thinking the thoughts which they are expressing in speech, and whether they are to be believed or not, and also what their intentions are. It is well known that flatterers and hypocrites have a double thought; for they can restrain themselves and take care not to disclose their interior thought; and some can conceal it more and more interiorly and, as it were, block up the doors lest it should appear. That both exterior and interior thought are given to man is clearly evident from this fact, that from his interior thought he can view his exterior thought, reflect upon it and pass judgment on it, deciding whether it is evil or not evil. The mind of man owes this characteristic feature to the faculties which he has from the Lord, called liberty and rationality. Unless man had from these an external and an internal of thought he would not be able to perceive and view any evil in himself and be reformed; in fact, he would not be able to speak, but only to utter sounds like a beast.

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