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...is held as nothing at all. This little branch original: "furculus," a small branch or shoot used in grafting. Ruusbroec uses this to describe how grace is joined to the "wild" soul. of grace is indeed offered to all, but it is not grafted into everyone; for many are unwilling to prune away the wild and barren branches of their own tree—namely, their unbelief and their disobedience to the heavenly commands. But in order that this little branch may be grafted into our wild hearts, three things (which we touched upon earlier regarding vision) are required: specifically, the prevenience of grace prevenient grace: the theological concept of grace that "comes before" human action, prompting the soul to turn toward God, the free turning of the will toward God, and the cleansing of one's conscience.

Prevenient grace—because it is given by the Father of lights, from whom every best gift and every perfect gift (as Scripture testifies) descends, and who gives to all abundantly without reproaching—is ready for all (as we have said before). But not all equally apply their free will free will: Latin "liberum arbitrium," the human capacity to choose between good and evil, which must cooperate with divine grace, nor do they cleanse their conscience. Because of this, it happens that the little branch of subsequent grace is not grafted into their minds; it is from and through this subsequent grace that the fruit of eternal life would be brought forth.

Now, prevenient grace is exhibited in two ways: from the outside and from the inside.

From the outside, it rouses human sleepiness in many ways: specifically, through the scourging of physical illness, the loss of worldly goods and even friends, the occasion of scandals, the exhortation of preachers original: "prędictorū," literally "the aforesaid," likely referring to the preachers or the "evangelical thunder" mentioned on the previous page., the consideration of the examples of the saints, conversation with devout persons, and admiration for the beauty of created things; so that by understanding the invisible things of God—that is, his wisdom and goodness—through the things that have been made, one may finally be moved to the love of their Creator.

From the inside, however, prevenient grace pricks human hearts through meditation on the Lord’s passion, the remembrance of God’s benefits, the loathing of one’s own sins, the consideration of the brevity of this present life, and [the fear] of hellish punishment...