how can this be vnderstoode that the Angels who see the Redeemour and in him all the mysteries of our saluation doe yet desire to see him THEO Verily they see him continually but with a viewe so agreeable and delicious that the complacence they take in it doth satiate them without taking away their desire and makes them desire without remouing their Sacietie the fruition is not lessened by the desire but perfected therby as their desire is not cloied but sharpned by the fruition 5. The fruition of a thing which doth continually content doth neuer fade but is renewed and flourisheth incessantly it is still agreeable still amiable The continuall contentment of heauenly louers produceth a desire perseuerantly content as their continuall desire doth beget in them a contentment perseuerantly desired The good which is finite in giuing the possession doth end the desire and in giuing the desire doth dispossesse while it cannot at once be possessed and desired But the infinite Good makes desire raigne with possession and possession with desire finding a way to saciate desire by a holy presence and yet make it liue by the greatnesse of its excellencie which doth nourish in all those that possesse it a continually contented desire and a contentment continually desired 6. Consider THâ—OT such as hold in their mouth the hearbe SCITIQVE for following report they are neither hungrie nor thristie so doth it saciate and yet doe they neuer loose appetite so deliciously doth it nourish them When our will meetes God she reposeth in him taking therein a soueraigne complacence yet without staying the motions of her desire for as she desires to loue so she loues to desire she hath the desire of loue and the loue of desire The repose of the heart consisteth not in immobilitie but in hauing want of nothing Not in not mouing but in not hauing neede to moue 7. The damned are in eternall motion without all mixture of rest we mortalls who are yet in this pilgrimage haue now motion now rest in our affections The Blessed haue continuall repose in their motion and continuall motion in their repose onely God hath repose without motion because he is soueraignely on substantiall and pure act And though according to the ordinarie condition of this mortall life we rest not in motion yet notwithstanding when we make essaies of the exercises of the immortall life that is when we practise the acts of holy loue we find repose in the motion of our affections and motion in the repose of the complacence which we take in our well-beloued receiuing hereby fore-tastes of the future Felicitie to which we aspire 8. If it be true that the Cameleon liues of aire wheresoeuer he goes in the aire he finds foode aÌ„d though he stirre from one place to another it is not to find wherewithall to be satiated but to exercise himselfe in his element as fishes in the sea Who desires God in possessing him doth not desire him to search him but to exercise affection euen in the good which he enioyes for the heart doth not make this motion of desire as pretending the fruition of a thing not had sith it is already had but as dilating it selfe in the fruition which it hath not to obtaine the Good but to recreate and please it selfe therein not to enioye it but to reioyce in it No otherwise then we moue our selues and goe to some delicious garden where being arriued we cease not to walke and stire our selues yet it is not to come thither but being there to walke and passe our time we went to enioye the pleasantnesse of the garden being there we walke to please our selues in the fruition of it Let not in length of time be found a space In which we cease to search t'Almighties face We alwayes seeke whom we alwayes loue saieth the Great S. AVGVSTINE Loue seekes whom it hath found not to haue him but to haue him still 9. Finally THEO the soule who is in the exercise of the loue of complacence cries continually in her sacred silence It suffiseth me that God be God that his Goodnesse be infinite that his perfection be immence whether I liue or not it little imports me sith that my deare well-beloued liues eternally a triumphant life Death it selfe cannot attristate a heart who knowes that its soueraigne Loue liues It is sufficient for a heart that loues that he whom it loues more then it selfe is replenished with eternall happinesse seeing that it liues more in him whom it loues then him whom it doth animate yea that it liues not but its well-beloued liues in it Of a louing condoling by which the complacence of loue is better declared CHAPTER IV. 1. COmpassion condoling commiseration or mercy is no other thing then an affection which makes vs share in the sufferaÌ„ces and griefes of him whom we loue drawing the miserie which he endures into our heart whence it is called MISERICORDIA as one would saie MISERIA CORDIS as complacence doth draw into the louers heart the pleasures and contentments of the thing beloued It is Loue that workes both the effectes by the vertue it hath to vnite the louers heart to the beloued by this meanes making the good and euill which they haue coÌ„mon betwixt them And that which happens in compassion doth much illustrate that which toucheth complacence 2. Compassion takes her grouth from the loue whence she proceedes So we see mothers doe deeply condole the afflictions of their onely children as the Scripture doth often testifie How great was the sorrow of Agars heart vpon the griefe of her Ismael whom she saw well nigh perish with thirst in the Desert How much did DAVIDS soule commiserate the miserie of his Absolon Ah doe you not marke the motherly heart of the great Apostle sicke with the sicke burning with zeale for such as were scandalized with a continuall dolour for the losse of the Iewes and dayely dying for his deare spirituall children But especially coÌ„sider how loue drawes all the paines all the torments trauells sufferances griefes wounds passioÌ„ crosse and death it selfe of our Redeemour into his most sacred Mothers heart Alas the same Nailes that crucified the bodie of this diuine child did also crucifie the mothers heart the same thrones which pearced his head did strike through the heart of this entirely sweete mother she endured the same miseries with her sonne by commiseration the same dolours by condoling the same passions by compassion to be short the sworde of death which transpearced the bodie of this best beloued sonne did stricke through the heart of this most louing mother whence she might well haue saied that he was to her a POSIE OF MIRRHE amidst her breastes that is in her bosome and in the midst of her heart IACOB hearing the sad though false newes of the death of his deare IOSEPH you see how he is afflicted with it ah saied he in sorrow I will descend to hell that is to saie to Lymbo into
affections to be aboue herselfe in Praier and belowe her selfe in life and operation To be Angelicall in Meditation and brutall in conuersation It is to hault on both sides to sweare by God and yet by Melchon In fine it is a true marke that such Raptures and Extasies are but fraudes and delusions of the diuell Happie are they who liue a supernaturall and extaticall life aduanced aboue themselues alltough in Praier they be not rauished There are many Saints in heauen who were neuer in Extasie or Rapture of contemplation for how many Martyrs holy men and women are mentioned in histories who neuer had other priuiledge in Praier then that of deuotion and feruour But there was neuer Sainte who had not the Extasie and Rapture of life and operation ouercomming themselues with their naturall inclinations 3. And who sees not I praie you THE that it is the Extasie of life ād operatiō that the great Apostle speakes off especially when he saieth I liue not I but IESVS CHRIST liueth in me for he himselfe doth expose it in other termes to the Romans saying that our old man is crucified together with IESVS CHRIST that we are dead to sinne with him and that we are also risen with him to walke in newnesse of life and not be any longer slaues to sinne Behold THEO how two men are represented in each of vs and consequently two liues the one of the old man which is the old life as we saie of an Eagle who being growen into old age is glad to drag her plumes not being after able to take flight the other is the life of the new man which also is a new life as that of the Eagle who being disburdened of her old feethers which she had shaken off into the sea recouers new ones and being growne young againe flies in the newnesse of her forces 4. In the first life we liue according to the old man that is according to the defaultes weakenesse and infirmitie contracted by our first Father Adams sinne and therefore we liue to Adams sinne and our life is a mortall life yea death it selfe In the second life we liue according to the new man that is according to the graces fauours ordinances and will of our Sauiour and consequently we liue to saluation and Redemption and this new life is a liuing vitall and quickning life but whosoeuer would attaine the new life he must make his way by the death of the old crucifying his flesh with all the vices and concupicences thereof interring it in the holy water of Baptisme or in penance as Naman did drowne and burie in the waters of Iordain his leporous and infected old life to liue a new sound and spotlesse life for one might well haue saied of him that he was not now the old leporous stinking infected Naman but a new neate sound and comely Naman because he was dead to leprosie but suruiued to health and integritie 5. Now whosoeuer is raised vp againe to this new life of our Sauiour he neither liues to himselfe in himselfe or for himselfe but to his Sauiour in his Sauiour ād for his Sauiour Thinke saieth S. Paule that you are truely dead to sinne but liue to God in our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST An admirable exhortation of S. Paule to the extaticall and supernaturall life CHAPTER VIII 1. BVt finally me thinkes S. Paule makes the most forceable pressing and admirable argument that euer was made to vrge vs all to the Extasie and Rapture of life and operation Marke THEO I beseech you be attentiue and ponder the force and efficacie of the ardent and heauenly words of this Apostle rauished and transported with the loue of his Maister Speaking then of himselfe and the like is to be saied of euery one the Charitie saieth he of IESVS CHRIT doth presse vs yes THEO nothing doth so much presse mans heart as loue if a man knowe that he is beloued be it of whom it will he is pressed to loue mutually But if an ordinarie fellow be beloued by a great Lord he is yet more pressed if of a powerfull Monarke how much more is he pressed And now I praie you knowing well that IESVS CHRIST the true Eternall God Omnipotent hath loued vs euen to suffering death for vs and the death of the crosse is not this ô my deare THEO to haue our hearts in the presse to feele them forceably pressed and perceiue loue squised out of them by violence and constraint which is so much more violent by how much it is more amiable and louelie But in what sort doth Charitie presse vs the Charitie of IESVS CHRIST doth presse vs saieth his holy Apostle waighing this matter But what doth these words waighing this matter import It imports that our Sauiours Charitie doth presse vs then especially when we doe waigh consider ponder meditate and remaine attentiue to this resolution of faith But what resolution marke my Good THEOT how he goes engrauing emplanting and forcing his conceite into our hearts Waighing this saieth he and what That if one be dead and IESVS CHRIST died for all Certes it is true if a IESVS CHRIST died for all all the are dead in the person of this onely Sauiour who died for them and his death is to be imputed vnto them since it was endured for them and in consideration of them 2. But what followes out of all this me thinkes I heare that Apostolicall mouth as a thunder making an outcrie to the eares of our hearts It followes then ô Christians what IESVS CHRIST dying for vs desired of vs. And what did he desire of vs but that we should be conformed vnto him to th' end saieth the Apostle that such as liue should henceforth no more liue to themselues but to him that died and rose for them Deare God THEO how powerfull a consequence is this in the matter of Loue IESVS CHRIST died for vs by his death he hath giuen vs life we doe not liue but in so much as he died he died for vs to vs and in vs. Our life then is no more ours but his who did purchase it vs by his death we are not therefore any more to liue to our selues but to him nor in our selues but in him nor for our selues but for him A yoūg Girle of the I le of Sestos had brought vp an Eagle with such diligēce as little childrē are wonte to bestowe vpon such emploiments the Eagle being come to her grouth began by little and little to find her winge and flie at bird's following her naturall instinct afterwards getting more strength she seased vpon wild beasts neuer failing faithfully to bring home the prey to her deare Mistresse as in acknowledgment of the breeding which she had from her Now it happened vpon a day that this young damsell died while the poore Eagle was rouing abrode and her bodie according to the coustome of those times and places was publickly placed vpon the funerall Pile to be brunt but
when it dies to it selfe nor euer so much death as when it liues to it selfe 8. We haue freedome to doe good or euill yet to make choyce of euill is not to vse but to abuse our freedome Let vs renounce the accursed libertie and let vs for euer subiect our free-will to the rule of heauenly Loue let vs become slaues to Loue whose seruants are more happie then kings And if euer our soule should offer to imploye her libertie against our resolutioÌ„s of seruing God for euer and without reserue ô in that case for Gods sake let vs sacrifice our freewill and make it die to it selfe that it may liue to God He that in respect of selfe loue will keepe it in this world shall loose it in respect of eternall Loue in the other world and he that for the loue of God shall loose it in this world shall coÌ„serue it for the same loue in the next He that giues it libertie in this world shall find it a slaue in the other and he that shall make it a seruant to the Crosse in this world shall find it free in the next where being drunk vp in the fruition of the Diuine goodnesse libertie will be conuerted into loue and loue into libertie but libertie of an infinite sweetenesse without violeÌ„ce paine or repugnance at all we shall vnchangeably loue the Creatour and Sauiour of our soules Of the motiues we haue to holy Loue. CHAPTER XI 1. SAINT BONAVENTVRE Father Granado Father Lowis of Poâ—t Stella haue sufficiently discoursed vpon this subiect I will onely somme vp the points which I haue touched in this Treatise 2. The Diuine Goodnesse considered in it selfe is not onely the first motiue of all but withall the greatest the most noble and most puissant For it is that which doth rauish the Blessed and crowne their Felicitie How can one haue a heart and yet not loue so infinite a goodnesse This subiect is in some sort proposed in the 1. and 2. chap. of the 2. booke and from the 8. chap. of the 3. booke to the end and in the 9. chap. of the 10. booke 3. The 2. motiue is that of Gods supernaturall Prouidence creation and conseruation towards vs according as we haue saied in the 3. cha of the 2. booke 4. The 3. motiue is that of Gods supernaturall Prouidence ouer vs and of the Redemption which he prepared for vs as it is explicated in the 4. 5. 6. and 7. chap. of the 2. booke 5. The 4. motiue is to consider how God doth practise this Prouidence and Redemption giuing euery one the grace and assistance which is requisite to their Saluation which we handle in the 2. booke from the 8. chap. and in the 3. booke from the beginning till the 6. chap. 6. The 5. motiue is the eternall glorie prouided for vs by the diuine goodnesse which is the accomplishment of Gods benefits towards vs and is in some sort touched from the 9. chap. to the end of the 3. booke A profitable methode whereby we may imploy these methods CHAPTER XII 1. NOw to receiue from these motiues a profound and powerfull heate of loue we are after we haue once considered one of them in coÌ„mon to applie it in particular to our selues For example O how amiable this great God is who out of his infinite goodnesse gaue his sonne for the whole worlds redemption alas I for all in generall but also for me who am the first of offenders Ah he hath loued me yea I saie he hath loued euen me yea euen me my selfe such as I am and deliuered himselfe to death for me 2. Secondly we must consider the Diuine benefits in their first and eternall source O God Tâ—â—O what loue can we haue sufficiently worthy of the infinit goodnesse of our Creatour who froÌ„ all eternitie determined to create conserue gouerne redeeme saue and glorifie all in generall and in particular Ah what was I then when I was not my selfe I saie who now being some thing am yet but a simple and poore worme of the earth while yet God from the Abisse of his eternitie thought thoughts of benediction in my behalfe He considered and designed yea determined the houre of my birth of my baptisme of all the inspirations that he would bestow vpon me in a word for all the benefits which he would doe and offer me alas is there a sweetenesse like to this 3. Thirdly we must consider the Diuine benefits in their second meritorious source for doe you not know THEO that the high Priest of the law wore vpon his backe and bosome the names of the children of Israel that is the precious stones vpon which the chiefe of the Israelites were engraueÌ„ Ah behold IESVS our High Priest and consider him from the very instant of his conception how he bore vs vpon his shoulders vndertaking the charge to redeeme vs by his death and death of the Crosse ô THEO THEO this soule of our Sauiour knew vs all by name and surname but especially vpon the day of his passion when he offered his teares his praiers his blood and life for all he breathed in particular for thee these thoughts of loue Ah my eternall Father I take vpon me and to my charge all poore THEO sinns to vndergoe torments and death that he may be freed from them and that he may not perish but liue Let me die so he may liue let me be crucified so that he may be glorified ô the soueraigne Loue of IESVS his heart what heart can euer blesse thee so deuotely as it ought 4. So within his fatherly breast his Diuine heart foresaw disposed merited and obtained all the benefits which we haue not onely in generall for all but also in particular for euery one and his sweete dugges prouided for vs the milke of his motions draughtes inspiratioÌ„s and sweetenesse by which he doth draw conduct and nurish our hearts to eternall life Benefits doe not in â—â—ame vs vnlesse we behold the eternall will which ordaines them for vs and the heart of our Sauiour that merited them for vs by so many paines especially in his death and passion That the Mount of Caluarie is the true Academie of Loue. CHAPTER XIII 1. NOw in finall conclusion the death and PassioÌ„ of our Sauiour is the sweetest aÌ„d yet most violent motiue that caÌ„ animate our hearts in this mortall life And it is the very truth that mysticall Bees make their most excelleÌ„t honie within this Lyon's wouÌ„d of the Tribe of Iuda but chered rent and torne vpon the Mount of Caluarie and the children of the Crosse glorie in their admirable Probleme which the word vnderstaÌ„ds not Oâ—t of all deuouring death râ—se the life of our consolation and out of death which is the strongest of all things the honie sweetenesse of our loue did issue O IESVS my Sauiour how amiable is thy death since it is the soueraigne effect of thy Loue. 2. And indeede aboue in heauenly glorie next to the motiue of the diuine goodnesse knowne aÌ„d coÌ„siâ—erâ—d in it selfe that of the death of our Sauiour shall be the most powerfull to rauish the hearts of the Blessed with the loue of God in signe whereof MOYSES and HELIE in the Transfiguration which was a scantling of glorie spoke with our Sauiour of the Excesse which he was to accomplish in Hierusalem but of what excesse if not of that excesse of Loue by which life was forced from the Louer to be bestowed vpon the beloued So that in the eternall Canticle I imagine that ioyfull acclamation will be iterated each moment Lâ—ue IESVS liue whose death doth prooue What is the force of heauenly loue 3. THEO the mount Caluarie is the mount of Louers All loue that begi s not from our Sauiours Passion is friuolous and dangerous Accursed is death without the Loue of our Sauiour Accursed is Loue without the death of our Sauiour Loue and death are so mingled in the passion of our Sauiour that one cannot haue the one in his heart without the other Vpon Caluarie one caÌ„not haue life without Loue nor loue without the death of our Redeemour But out of that all is either eternall death or eternall Loue Christian wisdome consisteth in making a good choice and to assist you in that I vndertookâ— this Treatise my THâ—O While this short day doth last Make choice ô man thou mayst To liue eternally Or else for ere to dye It is the Heauens Decree There should no middle be O eternall Loue my soule doth desire and make choice of thee eternally ah come ô holy Ghost and inflame our hearts with thy Loue Either loue or die die or loue To die to all other Loue to liue to that of IESVS that we may not eternally die but that liuing in thy eternall loue ô Sauiour of our soules we may eternally singe VIVE IESVS I loue IESVS liue IESVS whom I loue I loue IESVS who liueth and raigneth for euer and euen Amen 4. These things THEO which by the grace and helpe of Charitie haue bene written to your Charitie I beseech GOD they may take roote in your heart that this Charitie may find in you the fruits of holy workes not the leaues of prayses Amen God be blessed Thus I shut vp this whole Treatise in the words with which S. AVGVSTINE ended his admirable sermon of Charitie made before an illustrious assemblie The end of this present Treatise ERRATA Pag Lin Faults Coâ—rectâ—â— 9 28 it being desired if being desired 28 7 Hâ—rodiadas Herodias 45 16 this in this 51 22 Alliance Couenant 58 23 expired breathed out 63 33 Principale prâ—nciple 64 9 soules soule 88 33 peace peece 128 8 her herselfe 169 14 or where 188 21 begiues giues 109 4 light a True God Light true God 209 18 their his 237 28 Seeing a Seer 266 17 owes ewes 293 11 deseased deceased 332 3 for for we neuer loue that which 334 8 uen heauen 359 14 exteriour interiour 381 27 Pallas Pallace 393 32 And to it this And this is it 430 1 Maisters Maisters Passion 461 12 Epthitheme Eâ—itheme 479 19 Pipins Kernells 546 18 at and 568 30 to Gods submissioÌ„ to God submissioÌ„ 592 24 Sauâ—our out Sauiour brought him out 603 6 God good 660 13 honie oyle 694 7 Charitie Chastitie 788 17 word world
be idle he vrgeth vs by this generall commandement to imploy it and to th' end this commandement might haue effect he furniseth euery liuing creature abundantly with all meanes requisite thervnto The visible Sunne toucheth euery thing with his liuely heate and as the common louer of things belowe doth impart vnto them requisite vigour to produce And euen so the diuine goodnesse doth animate all soules and encourage all hearts to her loue none at all being shut vp from her heate The eternall wisdome sayeth Salomon preacheth in publicke she makes her voice resoūd amōgst the places she cries ād recries before the people she pronoūceth her words in the gates of the Citie saying ô children how long will it be that you will loue your infancie how long will fooles desire hurtfull things and the imprudent hate knowledge Conuert your selues returne to me vpon this aduertissement ah behould how I profer you my spirit and I will shew you my wordes And the same wisdome pursueth in EZECHIEL saying Let no man saye I am dead in sinne and how cā I recouer life againe Ah no! for harke God saieth I am liuing and as true as I liue I will not the death of a sinner but that he be conuerted and liue Now to liue according to God is to loue and he that loues not remaines in death See now THEOTIME whether God doth not desire we should loue him 2. But he is not content to denounce in this manner publickly his great desire to be loued so that euery one might receiue a part of the seedes of his loue but he goes euen from doore to doore knocking and beating protesting that if any one open he will enter and suppe with him that is he will testifie all sorts of good will towards him 3. But what would all this saie THEOTIME but that God doth not onely giue vs a meere sufficiencie of meanes to loue him and in louing him to saue our selues but euen a rich ample and magnificent sufficiencie and such as ought to be expected from so great a bountie as his The great Apostle speaking to the obstinate sinner Dost thou contemne saieth he the riches of the bountie patience and longanimitie of God art thou ignorant that the benignitie of God doth draw thee to penāce But thou according to thy hardnesse ād impenitēt heart dost heape vp against thy selfe anger in the day of Anger My deare THEO God doth not therfore exercise a meere sufficiencie of remedies to conuert the obstinate but imployes to this end the riches of his bountie The Apostle as you see doth oppose the riches of God's goodnesse against the treasurs of the impenitēt hearts malice and saieth that the malicious heart is so rich in iniquitie that he despiseth euē the riches of Gods mildnesse by which he drawes him to repentance and marke that the obstinate doth not onely contemne the riches of God's goodnesse but euē riches attractiue to repentance Riches wherof one cānot well be ignorant verily this rich heape and abundant sufficiencie of meanes which God freely bestoweth vpon sinners to loue him doth appeare almost through the whole Scripture For see this diuine Louer at the gate he doth not simply beate but stayes beating he calls the Soule goe to rise my well-beloued dispach put thy hād to the locke to try whether it will open When he preacheth amidst the places he doth not simply preach but goes crying out that is he continues his crie and when he proclaims that euery one should conuert themselues he thinkes he hath neuer repeated it sufficiently Conuert your selues conuert your selues doe penance returne to me liue why dost thou die ô house of Israel In conclusion this heauenlie Sauiour forgets nothing to shew that his mercyes are aboue all his workes that his mercy doth surpasse his Iudgment that his Redemption is copious that his loue is infinite and as the Apostle saieth that he is rich in mercy and by consequence that his will is that all men should be saued none perish How the eternall loue of God doth preuent our hearts with his inspirations to th' end we might loue him CHAPTER IX 1. I Haue loued thee with a perpetuall charitie ād therfore haue drawen thee vnto me hauing pitie and mercy vpon thee and againe I will reedifie thee and thou shalt be built againe virgin of ISRAEL These are God's wordes by which he promiseth that the Sauiour coming into the world shall establish a new raigne in his Church which shall be his Virgin-spouse and true spirituall Israëlite 2. Now as you see THEOT it was not by any merit of the workes which we had done that he saued vs but according to his mercy his auncient yea eternall charitie which moued his diuine Prouidence to draw vs vnto him For if the father had not drawne vs we had neuer come to the Sonne our Sauiour nor consequently to saluation 3. There are certaine birds THEOT which Aristotle calls Apodes for that their legges being extreamly short and their feete feable they haue no more vse of them then though they had none at all so that if at any time they light vpon the groūd they are caught neuer after being able to take flight because hauing no seruice of their legges or feete they haue no further power to rayse and regaine themselues into the ayre but remaine there peuling and dying vnlesse some winde fauorable to their impotencie sending out his blastes vpon the face of the earth sease vpon them and beare them vp as it doth many other things For then making vse of their winges they correspond to this first touch and motion which the winde gaue them it also continewing it's assistance towards them bringing them by little and little to flight 4. THEO Angels are like to the birds which for their beautie and raritie are called birds of Paradice neuer seene in earth but dead For those heauenlie spirits had no sooner forsaken Diuine loue to be fixed vpon Selfe loue till sodainely they fell as dead buried in Hell seeing that the same effect which death hath in men seperating them euerlastingly from this mortall life the same had the Angels fall in them excluding them for euer from eternall life But we mortalls doe rather resemble Apodes For if it chance that we quitting the ayre of holy and diuine loue fall vpon the earth and adheare to creaturs which we doe as often as we offend God we die indeede yet not so absolute a death that there resteth in vs no motiō together with legges and feete to wit some weake affectiōs which enableth vs to make some essaies of loue yet so weakly that in trueth we are impotēt of our selues to reclaime our hearts from sinne or restore our selues to the flight of sacred loue which catifs that we are we haue perfideously and voluntarily forsaken 5. And truely we should well deserue to remaine abandoned of God sith we haue disloyally abandoned him but his eternall charitie doth often not
men was onely ordained for those whom the Diuine wisdome had foreseene that in tract of time seconding their vocation they should attaine a liuely Faith which work 's by Charitie 6. Finally all these effects haue their absolute dependance of our Sauiours Redemption who did merit them for vs IN RIGOVR OF IVSTICE by the louing obedience which he exercised euē till death and death of the crosse which is the source of all the graces which we receiue we who are the Spirituall graffes ingraffed in his stoke and if being ingraffed we remaine in him we shall beare without doubt by the life of grace which he will impart vnto vs the fruite of Glorie prepared for vs. But if we prooue broken sprigges and graffes vpon this tree that is if by resistance we breake the progresse and successe of the effects of his Clemencie it will not be strang if in the end we be wholy cut of and be throwen into eternall fires as fruitlesse branches 7. God doubtlesse prepared heauen for those onely whō he foresaw would be his Let vs be his then THEO by faith and works and he will be ours by Glorie Now it is in our power to be his for though it be a gift of God to be Gods yet is it a gift which God denies no bodie but offers it to all to giue it to such as freely doe consent to receiue it 8. Nay marke I pray you THEO how ardently God desires we should be his sith to this end he hath made himselfe entirely ours bestowing vpon vs his death and his life his life to exempt vs from eternall death his death to possesse vs of eternall life Let vs remaine therefore in peace and serue God to become his in this mortall life more his in that immortall That we cannot attaine to a perfect vnion with God in this mortall life CHAPTER VI. 1. RIuers doe restlesse rūne and as the wiseman saieth returne to their source The Sea which is the place whence they spring is also the place of their finall repose all their motion tend's no further then to vnite themselues to their fountaine O God saieth S. AVGVSTINE thou hast created my heart for thy selfe and it can neuer repose but in thee But what haue I in heauen saue thee ô my God or what else in earth can I desire yea Lord for thou art the Lord of my heart thou my part and portion for euer Howbeit the vnion which our heart aspires to neuer attaines to it's perfection in this mortall life we may commence our Loues in this but neuer consummat them till the next world 2. The heauenly Spouse makes a delicate expression of it I haue found him at length saieth she him whom my heart loues I hold him nor will I let him goe till I haue led him into my mothers house and into her chamber who brought me fourth The well-beloued hath gotten him then For he makes her feele his presence by a thousand consolations she holdes him these feelings causing in her strong affections by which she doth holde and embrace him protesting neuer to release him O no! for these affections turne into eternall resolutions yet cannot she perswade her selfe that she giues him the mariage kisse till she meete with him in her mothers house THE HEAVENLY HIERVSALEM as S. PAVLE saieth But see THEO how this Spouse thinks euen to keepe her beloued at her mercie as slaue in Loue and so leade him at her pleasure bringing him to her mothers happie abode though indeede she her selfe must be conducted thither by him as was REBECCA into SARA'S chamber by her deare ISAAC The heart pressed with loue doth still gaine ground towards the thing beloued And the Spouse himselfe confesseth that the Beloued hath forced his heart hauing tyed him with one onely heire of her head acknowledging himselfe her prisoner by Loue. 3. This perfect coniunction then of the soule with God shall onely be in heauen where as the Apocalypse saieth the Lambs marriage-banquet shall be made In this mottall life the soule is truely espoused and betrothed to the immaculat Lambe but not as yet married vnto him They haue passed their words and promisses but the execution of the marriage is differred so that we haue alwayes time though neuer reason to disclame from it our faithfull Spouse neuer abandoning vs vnlesse prouoked by our disloyaltie and vnfaithfulnesse But in heauen the marriage of this diuine vnion being celebrated the tye of our hearts to their soueraine PRINCIPLE shall neuer be vndone 4. It is true THEOTIME that while we expect the kisse of this indissoluble vnion which we shall receiue of the Spouse aboue in glorie he begiues vs some few kisses by a thousand touches of his gratfull presence for vnlesse the soule were kissed she should not be drawen nor would she runne in the odour of the Beloued's perfumes whence according to the originall Hebrew Text and the 70. Interpreters she wisheth many kisses Let hī kisse me saith she with kisses of his mouth But whereas these little kisses of this present life haue reference to the ETERNALL KISSE of the life to come the holy vulgar Edition hath piously reduced the kisses of grace to that of Glorie expressing the spouse her desires in this wise Let him kisse me with a kisse of his mouth as though she should saie of all the kisses of all the fauours that the friend of my heart or the heart of my soule hath prouided for me ah I doe not breath after or aspire to any other thing then this great and solemne marriage-kisse which remaines for euer and in comparison whereof the other kisses merit not the name of kisses being rather signes of the future vnion betwixt my beloued and me then vnion it selfe That the Charitie of Saints in this mortall life doth equallise yea sometimes passe that of the Blessed CHAPTER VII 1. VVHen after the trauailes and dangers of this mortall life the happie soules arriue at the Port of the eternall they ascend to the highest and vtmost degree of Loue to which they can attaine and this finall encrease being bestowed vpon them in recompence of their merits it is distributed vnto them not onely in good measure but is euen pressed and thrust downe and yet doth scatter on euery side as our Sauiour saieth So that the Loue which is giuen for reward is greater in euery one then that which was giuen for to merit 2. Nor shall euery one in particular onely haue a greater loue in heauen then euer he had in earth but euen the exercise of the least Charitie in heauen shall be much more happie and excellent generally speaking then that of the greatest which is hath bene or shall be in this fraile life for aboue all the saints doe incessantly without any intermissiō exercise loue while heare belowe God's greatest seruants racked and tyrannized with the necessities of this dying life are forced to suffer a thousand and a thousand distractions which oftentimes
thought he walked not he was deliuered and beleeued it not And all this because the wonder of his deliuerance was so great and it did engage his heart in such sort that though he had sense and knowledge enough to doe what he did yeâ— had he not enough to discouer that he did it really and in good earnest He saw indeede the Angell but could not discerne whether it was a true and naturall vision Wherevpon he tooke no consolation in his deliuerie till such time aâ— coÌ„ming to himselfe Now quoth he I know for certaine that God hath sent his Angell and hath deliuered me out of Herods hands and from all the Iewes expectation 2. Now THEO euen after the same manner it goes with a soule which is ouercharged with interiour anguishes for be it that she hath the power to beleeue to hope and Loue her God yet her distresse doth possesse her and make head against her so desperatly that she caÌ„ get no time to make a retreate into her owne quarter and see what is done at home Wherevpon she is conceited that she hath neither faith Hope nor Charitie but onely the shadowes and fruitlesse impressions of the saied vertues which she apprehends in a manner without apprehending them and as strangers not as the Familiars of the soule And if you will but take notice of it you shall find our soules alwayes in this estate when they are fiercely set vpon by some violent passion for they performe many actions as though they were in a dreame with so little feeling that they can scarcely beleeue that the passage is reall Which moued the Psalmist to expresse the greatenesse of the Israelits consolation in their returne from Babilon's Captiuitie in these words VVhen't pleas'd great Sions king to grant Vs freedome from our thrall VVe sâ—em'd to dreame so were we tooke VVith thoughts extaticall And as the holy latine version following the Seauentie hath we were made as men comforted that is the admiration of the good which befell vs was so excessiuely great that it hindred vs from feeling the consolation which we receiued and it seemed to vs that we were not truely comforted nor had any true consolation but onely in a figure and a dreame 3 Such are the feelings of the soule which is tossed in the midst of Spirituall anguishes which doe exceedingly purifie and refine Loue for being stript of all pleasure by mediation whereof she might be ioyned to God she is ioyned and vnited to God immediatly will to will heart to heart without the least mediation of content or any other pretention Alas THEO how the poore heart is afflicted when being as it were abandoned by Loue it lookes round about aÌ„d yet seemes not to find it It is not found in the exteriour senses thy not being capable of it nor in the Imagination which is cruelly tortured by sundrie onsets nor in the vnderstanding distracted with a thousand obscurities of strang discourses and apprehensions and though at length it be found in the top and supreame region of the Spirit where it doth still reside yet doth the soule mistake it and conceiues that it is not it because the thicknesse of darkenesse and distresse doth not permit her to taste the sweetenesse thereof She sees it without seeing it meetes it but doth not know it as though it passed in a dreame onely â—â—r in a Type In this sort Magdalaine hauing met with her deare-Maister receiued no comfort from him for that she did not apprehend that it was he indeede but a Gardener onely 4. But what is the soule to doe that finds her selfe in this case THEO she wots not how to behaue herselfe amidst so many vexations nor hath she any strength left but euen permits her will to die in the hands of Gods will imitating her sweete IESVS who being come to the top of the paines of the Crosse which his Father had ordained and not being able any further to resist the extreamâ—tie of his torments did like the Hart who when he is ruÌ„ne out of breath and oppressed by the hounds yeelding himselfe vp into the huntsmans hands with teares trickling downe sends out his last brayings for so this Diuine Sauiour neere vnto his death and giuing vp his last breath with a loude voice and aboundance of teares Alas quoth he ô Father into thy hands I commeÌ„d my Spirit This was the last word THEO and that by which the beloued sonne gaue a soueraigne testimonie of his Loue towards his Father When therefore all failes vs when our extreamities are growen to their hight this word this disposition this rendring vp of our soule into our Sauiours hands can neuer faile vs. The sonne commended his soule to his Father in this his last and incomparable anguish And we when the conuulsions of spirituall paines shall bereaue vs of all other sort of solace and meanes of resistance let vs commend our soule into the hands of the eternall sonne our true Father and making our hearts in a quiet submission stoope to his good pleasure let vs make ouer our whole will vnto him How the will being dead to it selfe liues entirely to Gods will CHAPTER XIII 1. VVE speake with a singular proprietie of the death of men in our French tongue For we call it an OVERPASSING and the dead theÌ„selues OVERPASSED intimatiÌ„g that DEATH amongst men is but a PASSAGE from one life to another and TO DIE is no other thing but to OVER PASSE the confines of this mortall life to arriue at the immortall True it is our will can no more die then our soule yet doth she sometimes out goe the limits of her ordinarie life to liue wholy in the Diuine will Then it is that she neither cann or will desire any thing at all but giues her selfe ouer totally and without reserue to the good pleasure of the Diuine prouidence moistening and incorporating her selfe with this good pleasure that she is not seene but is hid with IESVS CHRIST in God where she liues not she but the will of IESVS CHRIST in her 2. What becomes of the brightnesse of the starres when the Sunne appeares in our Horison certainely it doth in no wise perish but is drunke vp and spent in the Sunnes singular light with which it is happily mixed and allied And what becomes of mans will when it is entirely deliuered vp to God's pleasure It doth not altogether perish yet is it so drunke vp and dispersed in the will of God that it appeares not nor hath it any other will then the will of God Propose vnto your selfe THEOT the glorious and neuer sufficiently praysed S. Lewes who embarkes himselfe to saile beyond Sea and behold the Queene his deare wife ebarking her selfe together with his Maiestie now if one should haue demanded of this braue Princesse Madame whither doe you tend she would without doubt haue replied I goe whither the king goeth but if one should haue demanded againe saying but doe you know Madame
not to affect them nor reinuest our heart therewith saue onely so farre forth as we discerne it to agree with God's good pleasure And as Iudith wore still moorning weedes except onely in this occasion wherein Gods will was that she should be in pompe so are we peaceably to remaine vested in our miserie and abiection amidst our imperfections and infirmities till God shall exalt vs to the practise of excellent actions 3. One cannot long remaine in this nakednesse voide of all affection Wherefore following the aduise of the holy Apostle as soone as we haue turn'd off the garments of the old Adam we are to put on the habits of the new man that is to saie of IESVS CHRIST for hauing renounced all yea euen the affection to vertues neither desiring of these nor of other things a larger portion then may beare proportion with God's will we must put on againe diuers affections and peraduenture the very same which we haue renounced and resigned vp yet are we not therefore to resume theÌ„ for that they are agreeable profitable honorable and proper to content our selfe-love but because they are agreeable to God profitable to his honour and ordained to his glorie 4. Eliezer carried eare-jewels bracelets and new attire for the mayde whom God had prouided for his Maisters sonne and in effect he presented them to the virgine Rebecca as soone as he knew it was she New garmeÌ„ts are required to our Sauiour's Spouse If for the Loue of God she hath bereft her selfe of the auncient affections which she had to Parents Countrie Father's house and allie she must take a span new affection louing euery of these in their ranke not now accorcording to humane considerations but because the heauenly Spouse doth will command and intend it so and hath established such an order in Charitie If one haue once put off his old affectioÌ„ to spirituall consolations to exercises of deuotion to the practise of vertues yea to his owne aduancement in perfection he must put on another new affection by louing all these graces and heaueÌ„ly fauours not because they perfect and adorne our minde but for that our Sauiours name is sanctified in them his kingdome enriched his good pleasure glorified 5. So did S. PETER vest himselfe in the Prison not at his owne election but at the Angels command He puts on his girdle then his Sandales and afterwards the rest of his garments And the glorious S. PAVLâ— bereft in a moment of all affections Lord quoth he what wilt thou haue me doe that is what is thy pleasure I should affect since throwing me to the ground thou hast deaded me to myne owne will Ah Lord plant thy good pleasure in the place of it and teach me to performe thy will for thou art my God THEO he that hath forsaken all for God ought to resume nothing but according to Gods pleasure he feeds not his bodie but according to Gods ordinance that it may be seruiceable to the Spirit all his studie is to assist his neighbour and his owne soule according to the Diuine intention he practiseth not vertues as being according to his owne heart but according to God's 5. God commanded the Prophet Isaie to stripe himselfe naked which he did going and preaching in this sort for three dayes together as some hold or for three yeares together as others think and then the time prefixed him by God being expired he resumed his clothes Euen so are we to turne our selues out of affections little and great as also to make a frequent examine of our hearts to discouer whether it be willing to vnuest it selfe as Isaie did his garments as also to resume in their time the affections necessarie to the seruice of charitie to the end we might die with our Sauiour naked vpon the crosse and rise againe with him in newnesse of life Loue is as strong as death to make vs quit all it is magnificent as the Resurrection to adorne vs with honour and glorie The end of the ninth booke THE TENTH BOOKE OF THE COMMANDEMENT OF LOVING GOD ABOVE ALL things Of the sweetenesse of the Commandement which God gaue vs to loue him aboue all things CHAPTER I. 1. MAN is the perfection of the Vniuerse the Spirit the perfection of man Loue the Spirits and Charitie the perfection of Loue. WheÌ„ce the Loue of God is the end of perfection and the Excellencie of the vniuerse In this THEO doth consist the hight and primacie of the Commandement of Diuine Loue called by our Sauiour the first and greatest Commandemet This Commandement is as a Sunne giuing luster and dignitie to all the holy lawes to all the Diuine â—ordonances and to all the holy Scripturs All is made for this heauenly Loue and all tends to it Of the sacred Tree of this Commandement all consolations exhortations inspirations and euen all the other Commandements haue dependance as it's flowres and eternall life as it 's fruit and all that tends not to eternall Loue tends to eternall death O great Commandement whose perfect practise remaines euen in the euerlasting life yea it is no other thing then life euerlasting 2. But marke THEO how amiable this law of Loue is ah Lord God was it not sufficient that thou shouldst permit vs this heauenly Loue as KABAN permitted IACOB to Loue RACHEL without daigning farther to inuite vs to it by exhortations and vrge vs to it by thy Commandements Nay more ô Diuine Goodnesse to the end that neither thy Maiestie nor our miserie nor any other pretext at all might delay our loue to thee thou dost command it vs. The poore APELLES could neither abstaine from louing nor yet aduenture to loue the faire COMPASPE because she appertained to ALEXANDER the Great but wheÌ„ he had once leaue to loue her how much did he hold himselfe obliged to him that did him the grace He knew not whether he should more loue the faire COMPASPE granted him by so great an Emperour or so great an Emperour who had granted him the faire COMPASPE O sweete God THEO If we could vnderstand it what an obligation should we haue to this Soueraigne good who doth not onely permit but doth euen command vs to loue him Alas my God I know not whether I ought more to loue thyne infinite Beautie which so great a Bountie hath ordained that I should loue or thy Diuine Bountie which ordaines that I should loue so infinite a Beautie O Beautie how amiable thou art being granted vnto me by a Bountie so immense O Bountie how amiable thou art in communicating vnto me so eminent a Beautie 3. God at the day of Iudgment will imprint after an admirable maÌ„ner in the hearts of the damned the apprehension of their losse for the Diuine Maiestie will make them clearely see the Soueraigne Beautie of his face and the Treasures of his Bountie and vpon the sight of this Abisse of infinite delights the will desires with an extreame violence to cast her selfe vpon
adhered and ioyned himselfe so neerely indissolubly and infinitly to our nature that neuer was any thing so straightly ioyned and pressed to the humanitie as is now the most sacred Diuinitie in the person of the Sonno of God 4. he ranne wholy into vs and as it were dissolued his greatnesse to bring it downe to the forme and figure of our littlenesse whence he is instyled a Source of liuing water dewe and rayne of Heauen 5. He was in extasie not onely in that as S. DENIS saieth by the excesse of his louing goodnesse he became in a certaine manner out of himselfe extending his prouidence to all things and beeing in all things but also in that as S. Paule saieth he did in a sort forsake and emptie himselfe drayned his greatnesse and glorie deposed himselfe of the Throne of his incomprehensible Maiestie and if it be lawfull so to saie annihilated himselfe to stoope downe to our humanitie to fill vs with his Diuinitie to replenish vs with his goodnesse to rayse vs to his dignitie and bestow vpon vs the Diuine beeing of the children of God And he of whom it is so frequent written I LIVE SAIED OVR LORD pleased afterwards according to his Apostles language to saie I liue now not I but man liues in me man is my life and to die for man is my gaines my life is hidden with man in God He that did inhabit in himselfe lodgeth now in vs and he that was liuing froÌ„ all eternitie in the bosome of his eternall Father becomes mortall in the bosome of his temporall mother He that liued eternally by his owne Diuine life liued temporally a humane life And he that from eternitie had bene onely God shall be for all eternitie man too so did the loue of man rauish God and draw him into an Extasie 6. Sixtly how ofteÌ„ by loue did he admire as he did the Centurion and the Cananee 7. he beheld the young man who had till that houre keept the Commandements and desired to be taught perfection 8. he tooke a louing repose in vs yea euen with some suspension of his senses in his mothers wombe and in his infancie 9. he was wonderfull tender towards little children which he would take in his armes and louingly dandle a sleepe towards MARTHA and MAGDALEN towards Lazarus ouer whom he wept as also ouer the Citie of Hierusalem 10. he was animated with an incoÌ„parable Zeale which as S. DENIS saieth turned into iealousie turning away so farre as he could all euill from his beloued humane nature with hazard yea with the price of his blood driuing away the Deuil the Prince of this world who seemed to be his Corriuall and Competitor 7. He had a thousand thousand languors of Loue for from whence could those Diuine words proceede I haue to be baptised with a baptisme and how am I straitened vntill it be dispatched The houre in which he was baptised in his bloode was not yet come and he languished after it the loue which he bore vnto vs vrging him therevnto that he might by his death see vs deliuerâ—d from an eternall death He was also sad and sweate blood of distresse in the garden of Oliuet not onely by reason of the exceeding griefe which his soule felt in the inferiour part of reason but also through the singular loue which he bore vnto vs in the superiour portioÌ„ thereof sorrow begetting in him a horrour of death yet loue an extreame desire of the same so that there was a hote combat and a cruell agonie betwixt desire and horrour of death vnto the shedding of much blood which streamed downe vpon the earth as from a liuing source 8. Finally THEO this Diuine Louer died amongst the flames and ardours of Loue by reason of the infinite charitie which he had towards vs and by the force and vertue of Loue that is he died in Loue by Loue for Loue and of Loue for though his cruell torments were sufficient to haue kild any bodie yet could death neuer make a breach in his life who keepes the keyes of life and death vnlesse Diuine Loue which hath the handling of those keyes had opened the Port to death to let it sacke that Diuine bodie and dispoyle it of life Loue not being content to haue made him mortall onely vnlesse it had made him die withall It was by choice not by force of torment that he died No man doth take my life from me saieth he but I yeeld it of my selfe and I haue power to yeeld it and I haue power to take it againe He was offered saieth Isaie because he himselfe would and therefore it is not saied that his Spirit went away forsooke him or separated it selfe froÌ„ him but coÌ„trariwise that he gaue vp his Spirit expired rendred vp the Ghost yeelded his Spirit vp into the hands of the eternall Father so that S. ATHANASIVS remarketh that he stooped downe with head to die to the end he might consent and bend towards deaths approch which otherwise durst not haue come neere him and crying out with a lowde voice he gaue vp his Spirit into his Fathers hands to shew that as he had strength and breath enough not to die so had he so much Loue that he could no longer liue but would by his death reuiue those which without it could neuer eschew death nor pretend for true life Wherefore our Sauiours death was a true sacrifice and a sacrifice of Holocaust which himselfe offered to our Sauiour to be our Redemption for though the paines and dolours of his Passion were so great and violent that any but he had died of them yet had he neuer died of them vnlesse he himselfe had pleased and vnlesse the fire of his infinite Charitie had consumed his life He was then the Priest himselfe who offered vp himselfe vnto his Father and sacrificed himselfe in Loue to Loue by Loue for Loue from Loue. 9. Yet beware of saying THEOTIME that this death of Loue in our Sauiour passed by way of rauishment for the obiect which his Charitie had to moue him to die was not so amiable that it could force this heauenly soule therto which therefore departed the bodie by way of extasie driuen on and forced forwards by the abundance and force of Loue euen as the Myrrhetree is seene to send foorth her first iuyce by her onely abundance without being strayned or pressed according to that which he himselfe saied as we haue noted No man taketh my life away from me but I yeelded it of my selfe O God THEO what burning coles are cast vpon our hearts to inflame vs to the exercise of holy loue towards our best Sauiour seeing he hath so louingly practised them towards vs who are his worst seruants The Charitie then of IESVS-CHRIST doth presse vs. The end of the Tenth Booke THE ELEAVENTH BOOKE OF THE SOVERAIGNE authoritie which sacred loue holds ouer all the vertues actions and perfections of the soule How much all the vertues are aggreeable
and Memorie for of the diuersitie of things which the Vnderstanding hath a power to vnderstand and the Memorie a power to remember the will doth determine those to which she will haue her faculties applie them selues or from which diuert themselues It is true she cannot manage or range them so absolutely as she doth the hands feete or tongue by reason of sensitiue faculties namely the Fantasie which doth not obaye the will with a prompt and infallible obedience which are necessarily required to the operations of the Vnderstanding and Memorie notwithstanding the will doth moue imploy and apply these faculties at her pleasure though not so firmely and constantly that the light and variable Fantasie doth not often diuert and distract them so that as the Apostle cries out I doe not the good which I desire but the euill which I hate so we are often compelled to thinke not the good which we loue but the euill which we hate How the will gouerns the sensuall appetite CHAPTER III. 1. THe Will then THEOTIME beares rule ouer the Memorie Vnderstanding and Fantasie not by force but by authoritie so that she is not infallibly obayed like as the Maister of the Familie is nor alwayes obayed by his children and seruants The like is touching the sensatiue appetite which as S. AVGVSTINE saieth is called in vs sinners concupiscence and remaines subiect to the will and Vnderstanding as the wife to her Husband because as it was saied to the woman Thou shalt returne to thy Husband who shall gouerne thee so was it saied to Cain that his appetite should returne home to him and that he should maister it And no other thing is ment by Returne to man then to submit and subiect it selfe vnto him O man saieth S. BERNARD it is in thy power if thou wilt to bring thine enemy so to be thy seruant that all things should succeede well with thee Thy appetite is vnder thee and thou shalt dominere ouer it Thy enemy can moue in thee the feeling of temptation but it is in thy power to giue or refuse consent In case thou permit thy appetite to carrie thee away to sinne then thou shalt be vnder it and it shall dominere ouer thee for whosoeuer sinneth is made slaue to sinne but before thou sinne so long as sinne getteth not entrie into thy consent but onely into thy sense that is to saie so long as it staies in the appetite not goeing so farre as thy will thy appetite is subiect vnto thee and thou Lord ouer it While an Emperour is not yet created he is subiect to the Electors Dominion in whose hands it is to reiect or elect him to the Imperiall dignitie but being once elected and eleuated by their meanes from thence they begin to be his subiects and he their Lord. So long as the will denies consent she presides but hauing once giuen consent she becomes slaue to her owne appetite 2. To conclude this sensuall appetite in plaine truth is a rebellious subiect seditious and stirring and we must confesse we cannot so defeate it that it doth not rise againe encounter and assault the reason yet hath the will such a strong hand ouer it that she is able if she please to bridle it breake it's designes and repulse it syth that not to consent to the suggestions therof is a sufficient repulse One cannot hinder concupiscence to conceiue yet well may we staie it from bringing foorth and accomplishing sinne 3. Now this concupiscence or sensuall appepetite hath 12. motions by which as by so many mutinous Captaines it raiseth sedition in man And because ordinarily they trouble the soule and disquiet the bodie in so much as they trouble the soule they are called perturbations in so much as they disquiete the bodie they are named passions as witnesseth S. AVGVSTINE All place before them selues Good or Euill that to atchiue it this to auoyde it If Good be considered in it selfe according to it 's naturall goodnesse it excites Loue the prime and principall passion If Good be represented as absent it prouokes a desire of it selfe it being desired we apprehend it possible it enters in vs a Hope if impossible Dispaire begins to sease vs. But when we enioie it as present it moues vs to ioie Contrariwise as soone as we discouer Euill we Hate it if it be absent we flie it if we propose it as ineuitable we Feare it if we think we can eschew it we doe emboulden and encourage our selues But if we feele it as present we Greeue and thē Anger and Indignation sodainely runnes out to resist and repulse the Euill or at least to be reuenged of it Which if it succeede not according to our mind we remaine in Griefe But if we repell or be reuenged of it we feele satisfaction and content which is a Pleasure of Triūphe for as the possessiō of Good doth glad the heart so the victorie ouer Euill doth satiate the courage And ouer all this multitude of sēsuall passiōs the will beares Empire reiecting their suggestiōs repulsing their embracements hindring their effects or at the very least stifly denying them consent without the which they can neuer endamage vs and by refusall of which they remaine vanquished yea euen a farre off weakned deiected defeated repressed and if not altogether slaine at least mortified and brought lowe 4. And THEOTIME this multitude of passions is permitted to reside in our soule for the exercise of our will in vertue and spirituall vallour In so much that the STOIKES who denied that passions were found in wise men did greatly erre and so much the more for that they shewed in effect that which in words they denied as S. AVGVSTINE shewes recounting this pleasant historie AVLVS GELIVS hauing embarked himselfe with a famous STOIKE a great tempest takes them whereat the STOIKE being affrighted begun to waxe white and Pale and sensibly to Tremble so that all in the boate perceiued it and tooke precise notice of him albeit they did runne the same hazard with him In the interim the sea waxed calme the danger passed and assurance did restore to eche of them Libertie to blame yea euen to raile at him A certaine voluptuous ASIATIKE gybed at the STOIKE and reproched vnto him his Feare which had made him become white and Pale by apprehension of danger whilst he for his part remained firme without Feare to which the STOIKE replyed by relation of that which ARISTIPPVS a SOCRATICAL Philosopher had answeared one who for the same reason had quipped him with the like reproch saying vnto him for thee thou hadst no reason to be troubled for the death of a wicked Rascall but I should haue wronged my selfe not to haue feared to loose the life of an ARISTIPPVS And the best of it is that AVLVS GELIVS an eye witnesse recites the storie but touching the STOIKES reply contained therin it did more commend his wit then his Cause sythens alleaging a companion of his Feares he left
two proofes by two reprochlesse witnesses that STOIKES were touched with Feare and with Feare which doth leaue it's effects in the Eyes Face and Countenance and is consequently a Passion 5. Ah greate follie to wish to be wise by a wisdome which is not possible Truely the Church hath cōdemned the Follie of this wisdome which certaine presumptuous ANCORITS would haue long agoe introduced against which the whole Scripture but especially the great APOSTLE crieth out That we haue a law in our bodie which resisteth the law of our mind Amongst vs Christians saieth that great S. AVGVSTINE according to holy Scripture and Sound doctrine the Citizens of the sacred Citie of God whose liues are agreeable to Gods owne heart in the pilgrimage of this world doe Feare Desire Greeue Reioice Yea euen the soueraigne King of this Citie did Feare Desire Greeue Reioice euen to teares palenesse trembling sweating of blood though in him these were not the motions of Passions like to ours whence the great S. HIEROME and after him the Schoole durst not there vsurpe the name Passions for reuerence of the person in whome they were but the respectfull name PRO-PASSIONS to testifie that sensible motions in our Sauiour held the place of Passions though they were not such indeede seeing that he suffered or sustained nothing by them saue that which was thought good to him and in manner which liked him best gouerning and guiding them at his pleasure which we sinners cannot doe who suffer and endure these Motions with disorder against our wills to the great preiudice of the good estate and pollicie of our soule That loue rules ouer all the affections and passions yea gouerns the will albeit the will hath also a dominion ouer it CHAPTER IIII. 1. LOue being the first complacence which we take in good as we will presently shew certes it preceedes desire and in deede what other thing is it which we Desire but that which we Loue It forerunes Delectation for how could we reioice in the fruition of a thing if we loued it not it goes before Hope for we hope for nothing but the Good which we loue it preuents Hatred for we hate not euill but in respect of the good which we loue nor is euill euill but because it is contrarie to good And THEOTIME it is the like touching all other passions and affections for they doe all flow from loue as from their source and roote 2. For which cause the other passions and affections are good vitious or vertuous according as the Loue whence they proceede is good or bad For Loue doth so bedewe them with her owne qualities that they seeme to be no other then very Loue it selfe S. AVGVSTINE reducing all these passions to foure as did also BOETIVS CICERO VIRGIL with the greatest part of the Auncients Loue saieth he tending to the possession of that he loues is termed Concupiscence or Desire hauing and possessing it t' is called Ioie flying that which is contrarie to him is named Feare but if Loue perceiue it arriued he puts on the name of Griefe and consequently these passiōs are Euill if the Loue be Euill Good if it be Good The Citizēs of the heauēlie Citie doe Feare Desire Greeue Ioie and because their loue is iust all their affections are also iust Christian doctrine doth subiect the Reason to God to th' end he should guide and succour it and to the Reason all the passiōs that it may bridle and moderate them so that they might be conuerted to the seruice of iustice and vertue The rectified will is the good loue the disordred will is the euill loue That is to saie in a word THEOTIME Loue hath such dominion ouer the will that he makes her iust such as he is 3. The wife doth ordinarily change her condition into that of her Husband becoming noble if he be noble Queene if he be King Dutches if he be Ducke The will doth also change her condition into that of Loue which she espouseth if he be carnall she becomes carnall if spirituall she turnes spirituall and all the affections Desire Ioie Hope Feare Griefe as issues of the mariage betwixt Loue and the will doe consequently receiue their qualities frō Loue to be short THEOTIME the will is not moued but by her affections amongst which Loue as the PRIMVM MOBILE and prime affection giues motion to all the rest and causeth all the other motions of the soule 4. Nor doth it follow hence that the will doth not also rule ouer Loue seeing that the will doth not Loue but in willing to Loue and that of the diuersitie of Loues which present them selues she can apply her selfe to which she list otherwise Loue would neither be prohibited nor commanded She is then Mistresse ouer Loues as a Dāfelle ouer her Suters amongst which she may make election of whom she pleaseth But as after the mariage she looseth her libertie and of Mistresse becomes subiect to her Husbands power remaining taken by him whom she tooke so the will which at her owne pleasure made election of Loue after she hath embraced any one she remaine subiect to him And as the wife is still subiect to the Husband which she hath chosen so long as he shall liue doth after her Husbands death regaine her precedent libertie to marrie an other so while one Loue liues in the will it reignes there and the will is subiect to his motions but if this Loue come to die she can afterwards take an other And againe there is a libertie in the will which a wife hath not and it is that the will can reiect her Loue at her pleasure by applying her vnderstanding to motiues which makes it disgustfull and by vndertaking to chainge the obiect For in this manner to make the diuine Loue liue and reigne in vs we ought to mortifie Proper Loue if we cannot altogether annihilate it at least we must weaken it in such sort that though it liue yet it doe not reigne in vs. As contrariwise in forsaking Diuine Loue we may adheare to that of creaturs which is that infamous adulterie wherewith the Diuine Loue doth so often reproch sinners Of the affections of the will CHAPTER V. 1. THere is no lesse motion in the Intellectuall or Reasonable appetite which is called the will then there is in the Sensitiue or Sensuall but those are customarily named Affections these Passions The Philosophers and Pagans did in some sort loue God their Common wealth Vertue Sciences they hated Vice aspired after Honours expected not to escape Death or Calumnie were desirous of knowledge yea euen of Beatitude after Death They did encourage them selues to surmount the difficulties which did crosse the way of Vertue dreaded Blame fled diuers Faultes reuenged publicke Iniuries disdained Tyrants without any proper interest Now all these Motions were seated in the Reasonable part syth that neither the Senses nor consequently the Sensuall appetits are capable of application to these obiects and therefore
exercised the Inferiour part and testified that according to it and it's codsiderations his will declined the griefes and paines He shewed afterwards that he had a superiour part by which inuiolably adhering to the Eternall will and Decree made by his heauenlie Father he willingly accepted death and notwithstanding the Inferiour part of reason he saieth ah no Lord not my will but thyne be done when he saieth My will he takes it according to the Inferiour portion and in as much as he saieth it voluntarily he shewes in himselfe a Superiour will That in these 2. portions of the soule there are found 4. different degrees of reason CHAPTER XII 1. THere were three Portalls in SALOMONS Temple one for Gentils and strangers who hauing recourse to God came to adore in Hierusalem the second for the Israelits men and women the separation of men from women not being made by SALOMON the third for Priests and Leuits and then there was the Sanctuarie or sacred house the which was open to the Higâ— Priest onely and that but once a yeare Our Râ—â—son or rather our soule as she is reasonable is the true Temple of the Almightie who there takes vp his chiefe residence I sought thee Saieth S. AVGVSTINE without my selfe but found thee not because thou wast with in me In this mysticall Temple there are also three partitions which are Three different degrees of reason In the first we discourse according to the experience of Sense in the second according to Humane Sciences in the third according to faith but beyond all this we discouer a certaine Hight or highest point of reason and the spirituall facultie which is not guided by the light of discourse or reason but by a simple view of the vnderstanding and a simple touch of the will by which the soule yeelds and submits her selfe to Veritie and the will of God 2. Now this extremitie and Climate of our soule this highest point of our spirit is naturally well represented by the Sanctuarie or Holy place For first in the Sanctuarie there were no windowes to giue light In this degree of the soule there is no discourse which doth illuminate Secondly in the Sanctuarie all the light entred by the Port in this degree of the soule nothing enters but by faith which produceth in manner of rayes the view and gust of the beautie and bountie of the good pleasure of God Thirdly none entred into the Sanctuarie saue the high Priest In this point of the soule discourse approacheth not but onely the high vniuersall and soueraigne feeling that the diuine will ought soueraignely to be embraced loued and approued not onely in some particular things but generally in all things nor generally in all things onely but also particularly in each thing Fouerthly the High Priest entring into the Sanctuarie obscured euen that light which came by the Port and the abundance of perfumes from his Thurible repulsed the rayes of light which by the Port sought passage and all the light which is in the supreame part of the soule is in some sort obscured and vealed by the renunciations and resignations which the soule makes not desiring so much to behould and see the Beautie of the Truth and the Truth of the Bountie presented vnto her as to embrace and adore the same in suchwise that the soule would almost shut her eyes as soone as she begins to see the dignitie of Gods will to th' end that not being further occupied in that consideration she might more powerfully and perfectly receiue it and by an absolute complacence infinitly vnite and submit her selfe thervnto Fiftly to conclude in the Sanctuarie was kept the Arke of the Alliance and in that or ioyning to it the Tables of the Lawe MANNA in a golden vessell AARONS rod which in a night bore flowers and fruite and in this highest point of the soule first of all the light of faith figured by the MANNA enclosed in the pot whereby we quietly beleeue the truth of mysteries which our vnderstanding can not attaine to secondly the profit of hope represented by Aarons florishing and fruitfull rod by which we confidently expect our promised happinesse which we see not Thirdly the sweetnesse of holy charitie represented by Gods commandements which she containes wherby we repose in the vnion of our spirit with God's which we scarcely perceiue 3. And although Faith Hope and Charitie doe disperce their diuine motions into almost all the faculties of the soule as well reasonable as sensitiue reducing and holily subiecting them to their iust authoritie yet their speciall residence their true and naturall Mannor is this supreame region of the soule from whence as from a happie source of liue water it brancheth it selfe out by diuerse Conduits and Brookes vpon the inferiour partes and faculties 4. So that THEOTIME in the superiour part of reason there are Two degrees of reason in the one those discourses are made which depend of faith and supernaturall light in the other the simple repose of faith hope and charitie SAINT PAVLES soule found here selfe pressed with two diuerse desires the one to be deliuered from his bodie to flie vp streight to IESVS CHRIST the other to remaine in this would to labour in the conuersion of soules both these desires were without doubt in the Superiour part for they proceeded both from Charitie but his resolution of the later proceeded not from discourse but from a simple light and liking he had of his maisters will towards which the very point of the spirit of this great seruant turned to the preiudice of all that Discourse might conclude 5. But if Faith Hope and Charitie be formed by this holy Rest in the point of the spirit how comes it to passe that in the Inferiour part discourse is made depending of the light of Faith As we see Aduocats in many words pleade the facts and rights of parties at the Barre the Parliament or Senate from aboue resolues all the strife by a positiue sentence which being pronounced the Aduocats and Auditours rest not for all that to discourse amongst them selues of the Parliaments motiues ther vnto Euen so THEOTIME after discourse and aboue all that the grace of God haue persuaded the point and highest part of the spirit to beleeue and forme an Act of faith by manner of sentence the vnderstanding doth not leaue to discourse againe vpon that same Act of faith already conceiued to consider the motiues and reasons therof yet so as Theologicall Discourses passe in the lower Benches and Barre of the Superiour portion of the soule but the Arrests aboue in the Tribunall of the point of the spirit And because the knowledge of these 4. degrees of the reason is much conducing to the vnderstanding of all the treatises of spirituall things I haue enlarged my selfe in the explication therof The difference of loues CHAPTER XIII 1. LOue is deuided into two species wherof the one is called Loue of beneuolence or good will th' other Loue
seate there to reside aÌ„d to cause her to affect aÌ„d loue her God aboue all things ô how happie is the soule wherin this holy loue is spred sith that together with it all good doth arriue The end of the 2. booke THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE PROGRESSE AND PERFECTION OF LOVE That holy loue may be augmented still more and more in euery of vs. CHAPTER I. 1. THE holy Councell of Trent assures vs that the friends of God proceeding from vertue to vertue are day by day renewed that is encreased by good works in the iustice which they receiued by God's grace and are more and more iustified according to those heauenly aduertissements he that is iust let him be more iustified And he who is holy let him be more sanctified Feare not but thou maiest be iustified euen vntill death the path of the iust is aduanced and encreaseth as a resplendant light euen till it be cleare day with charitie doing right encreasing in all things in him who is the head of all IESVS-CHRIST And I beseech you that your charitie doe more and more encrease All these are sacred wordes out of DAVID S. IOHN ECCLESIASTES and S. PAVLE 2. I neuer heard of any liuing creature whose grouth was not bounded and limited saue onely the Crocodile who from an extreamly little beginning neuer ceaseth to growe till she come to her end representing equally in this the good and the wicked for the arrogance of such as hate God swells continually saieth the great kind DAVID and the good doe encrease as the breake of the day from brightnesse to brightnesse and to staÌ„d long at a staie in one estate is a thing impossible he that gaines not looseth in this traficke he that ascends not descends vpon this ladder he that vanquisheth not in this battell is vanquished we liue amidst the dangers of the warrs which our enemie doth wage with vs if we resist not we perish and we cannot resist but we ouercome nor ouercome without triumphe for as saieth the glorious S. BERNARD it is written in particular of man that he neuer remaines in one state he doth necessarily either goe forward or returne backward Euery one runns but one onely beares away the prize runne so as you may obtaine it Who is the prize but IESVS-CHRIST And how can you attaine him if you follow him not But if you follow him you shall march and runne continually for he neuer makes staie but continues his course of loue and obedience euen vntill death and death of the crosse 3. Goe then saith S. BERNARD goe I saie with him goe my deare THEO and admit no other bounds then those of life and as long as it remaines runne after this Sauiour but runne ardently and louingly for what better will you be to follow him if you be not so happie as to ouerta him Let vs heare the Prophete I haue inclined my heart to doe thy Iustifications eternally he doth not saie that he will doe them for a time onely but euerlastingly and because he desires eternally to doe well he shall haue an eternall reward Blessed are they who are pure in the way who walke in the law of our Lord accursed are they who are defiled who walke not in the law of our Lord It is onely a saying of the Diuell that he will sit vpoÌ„ the Norh Vnworthy man wilt thou sit downe ah knowest thou not that thou art vpon the way and that the way is not made to sit downe but to goe in and so to goe in that to goe is to passe on the way And God speaking to one of his greatest friends walke saieth he before me and be perfect 4. True vertue hath no limits she findes still PLVS VLTRA but especially holy Charitie which is the vertue of vert es and hauing an infinite obiect might be capable to become infinite if she could meete with a heart capable of infinitie nothing hiÌ„dering this loue to be infinite saue the coÌ„dition of the will which receiues it and is to become actiue by it which as it is cause that neuer any shall see God as much as he is visible so neuer any shall be able to loue him as much as he is amiable The heart which could loue GOD with a loue equall to the diuine Goodnesse should haue a will infinitly good which caÌ„not be but in God Charitie then in vs may be perfected eueÌ„ to infinitie but exclusiuely that is Charitie may become more and more and still more excellent yet neuer infinite The Holy Ghost may eleuate our hearts and apply them to what supernaturall actions it shall please him so they be not infinite for betwixt little an great things though the one exceede the other neuer so much there is still some proportion prouided alwaies that the excesse of the thing which doth exceede be not infinite but betweene finite and infinite there is no proportioÌ„ nor can there be any made vnlesse either the finite thing be raised to infinitie or the infinite brought downe to finitie which is impossible 5. So that euen the Charitie which is in our Redeemour as he is man though greater then Angell or man can comprehend yet is it not infinite of it selfe and in its owne being but onely in the estimation of the dignitie and merite therof as being the charitie of a diuine Person who iâ—â—eâ—â— eternall Sonne of the omnipotent Father 6. Meane while it is an extreame honour to the soule that she may still grow more and more in the loue of her God as long as she shall liue in this miserable life And by vertues new ascend To a life that knowes no end How easie our Sauiour hath made the encrease of loue CHAPTER II. 1. DOe you see THEO this glasse of water or this peece of bread which a holy soule giues to a poore bodie for Gods sake it is a smale matter God-wot and in humane conceipt hardly worthy of consideration God notwithstanding doth recompence it and forthwith for it doth giue some encrease of Charitie the Gotes haire which aunciently was presented to the TABERNACLE was taken in good part and had place amongst the holy Offerings and the little actions which proceede froÌ„ Charitie are agreeable to God and meritorious for as in the happie ARABIA not onely the plants which are by nature odoriferous but euen all the others are sweete participating the felicitie of that soyle so in a charitable be â—e not onely the workes which are excellent in their owne nature but euen euery little action doth relish the vertue of holy loue and hath a good odour before the maiestie of God who in consideration thereof doth augment charitie And I saie God doth it because Charitie doth not produce her owne encrease as doth a tree who by her owne vertue doth thrust and branch out her boughes but as Faith Hope and Charitie are vertues which haue their origine from the diuine goodnesse so thence also they draw their encrease
marke the young man of the Ghospell whom our Sauiour loued and who coÌ„sequently was in Charitie certes he neuer dream'd of selling all he had to giue it to the poore and follow our Sauiour nay though our Sauiour had giuen him such an inspiration yet had he not the courage to put it in executioÌ„ In these great works THEO onely inspirations are not sufficient but further we must be fortified to be able to effect that which the inspiratioÌ„ inclines vs to As againe in the fierce assaultes of extraordinarie teÌ„ptations the speciall and particular presence of heauenly succours is altogether necessarie For this cause the holy Church makes vs so frequently crie out Excite our hearts ô Lord preuent our actions by breathing vpon vs and in aiding vs accompanie vs O Lord be prompt to helpe vs and the like therby to obtaine grace to be able to effect excellent and extraordinarie works and more frequently and feruently to exercise ordinarie ones as also more ardently to resist smale temptations and more valliently to encounter great ones S. ANTONIE was assailed by a hideous legion of Diuels whose rage hauing a long time sustained not without incredible paine and torment at length he espied the couer of his Cell deuided and a heauenly raie enter the breach which made the blacke and disordered Route of his enemies vanish in a moment and deliuered him of the paine of his wounds receiued in that schirmish whence he perceiued God's particular presence and casting out a grone towards the brightnesse where wast thou ô good IESVS quoth he where wast thou why wast thou not here from the beginning to haue remedied my paine It was answered him froÌ„ aboue Antonie I was here but I expected the euent of thy combat And sithens thou behaued thy selfe brauely and valiently I will be thy continuall aide But in what the valour and courage of this braue spirituall Combatant did consist he himselfe another time declars that being set vpon by a Diuell who professed to be the Spirit of fornicatioÌ„ this Glorious Sainte after many words worthy of his great courage fell a singing the 7. verse of the 115. Psalme Th' eternall God is my defence In him it is I stand I weigh no enemies pretence I dread no hostell band And our Sauiour reuealed to S. CATHERINE of Sienna that he was in the midst of her heart in a cruell temptation she had as a Captaine in the midst of a Fort to hold it and that without his succour she had lost her selfe in the battell It is the like in all the hote assaults which our enemie makes against vs and we may well saie with IACOB that it is the Angell that doth warrant vs in all and sing with the great king DAVID The Pastour who doth guid my way Is God who rules this ROVND VVhile I to his commands obey At wish all things abound VVhen he behoulds my soules destresse Her Anguish griefe or care His Goodnesse grant's a quick redresse And th ruines doth râ—paire So that we ought often to repeate this exclamaâ—ion and Praier â—o houre want I thy Bounti 's hand Each where I 'm garded by thy Grace That in thy heauenâ—y PROMISED LAND Obtaine I might a MANSION PLACE Touching holy perseuerance in sacred Loue. CHAPTER IIII. 1. EVen as a tender mother leading with her her little babe doth assist and support him according as neede requires letting him now and then aduenture a step by himselfe in plaine or lesse dangerous way now taking him by the hand to weeld him now taking him vp in her armes and bearing him so our Sauiour hath a continuall care to conduct his children that is such as are in Charitie making theÌ„ walke before him reaching them his hand in difficulties and bearing them himselfe in such paines as he sees otherwise insupportable vnto theÌ„ which he declared by ISAIE saying I am thy GOD taking thee by the hand and saying feare not I haue helped thee So that with a strong courage we must haue a firme confidence in God and his assistance for if we faile not to second his Grace he will accomplish in vs the happie worke of our Saluation which he also began working in vs both the VELLE and PERFICERE as the Holy Councell of Trent doth assure vs. 2. In this conduct which the heauenly sweetenesse daignes to our soules from their entry to Charitie vntill their finall perfection which is not finished but in the period of life doth the great gift of Perseuerance consist to which our Sauiour annecteth the greater gift of eternall glorie following that which he saieth he that shall perseuer to the end shall be saued for this gift is no other thing then a setting together and a continuing of the diuers supports solaces and succours wherby we continew in the Loue of God till death as the education breeding and feeding of a child is no other thing theÌ„ the many cares aides and succours aÌ„d other offices befitting a child exercised and continued towards him till he grow to yeares in which he shall not neede them 3. But the continuance of succours and helpes are not equall in all those that perseuer for in some it is short as in such as were coÌ„uerted a little before their death so it happened to the good Thiefe so to the Sergeant who seeing S. IAMES his constancie made forthwith profession of Faith and became a companion of the Matyrdome of this great Apostle so to the glorious Porter who kept the 40. Martyrs in SEBASTE who seeing one of them loose courage and forsake the crowne of Martyrdome did put himselfe in his place aÌ„d at oÌ„ce became Christian Martyr and Glorious so to the Notarie of whom mention is made in S. ANTONIE of Padua his life who hauing all his life bene a false villaine yet died a Martyr And so it hapned to a thousand others whom we haue seene and red that they died well after an ill life And as for these they stand not in neede of a great varietie of succours but vnlesse some great temptation crosse their way may performe this short perseuerance by the onely Charitie giuen then and by the aides by which they were conuerted For they arriue at the PORT without sailing and finish their pilgrimage in one onely iumpe which the puissant mercy of God made them take in so due time that their enemies saw them triumphe before they stroke so that their conuersion and perseuerance were scarcely distinguished and if one would be exact in the proprietie of words the grace which they receiued of God wherby they attained as soone the issue as the entry of their pretentions could not well be termed Perseuerance though otherwise holding in effect the place of perseuerance in that it giues saluation we comprehend it vnder the name of Perseuerance Now in others Perseuerance is longer as in S. ANNE the Prophetesse in S. IOHN the Euangelist S. PAVLE the first Hermite S. HILARION S. ROMWALD S FRANCIS
of Paula and they stood in neede of a thousand sundrie kinds of assistāces according to the varietie of the aduenturs of their Pilgrimage and the sharpnesse of it 4. Howbeit Perseuerance is a gift the most to be desired of any thing we can hope for in this life and which as he Councell of Trent saieth we cannot haue but from the hand of God who onely can assure him that stand's and helpe him vp that falls Wherfore we must incessantly demand it making vse of the meanes which our Sauiour hath tought vs to the obtaining of it Praier Fasting Almes deedes frequenting the Sacraments conuersation with the good the hearing and reading of pious lessons 5. Now sithens the gift of Praier and deuotion is liberally granted to all thar freely doe consent to diuine inspirations it is consequently in our power to perseuer Yet not so that I would hence inferre that Perseuerāce hath her beginning from our power for contrariwise I know she doth spring from God's mercy whose most precious gift she is but I would saie that though she doth not proceede frō our power yet comes she within the compasse of it by meanes of our will which we cannot denie to be in our power for be it that Gods grace is necessarie for vs to will to perseuer yet is this will in our power because heauenly grace is neuer manting to our will while our will is not wanting to our power And indeede according to the great S. BERNARD'S opinion we may truely saie with the Apostle That neither death nor life nor Angels neither depth nor hight can separate vs from the Charitie of God which is in Iesus Christ no for no creature can take vs away by force from this holy Loue but we onely can forsake and abandon it by our owne will nor is there any other thing in this behalfe to be feared 6. So THEO following the aduise of the holy Councell we ought to place our whole hope in God who will perfect the work of our Saluation which he hath begun in vs if we be not wanting to his grace for we are not to thinke that he who saied to the Paralitike goe and sinne not gaue him not also power to auoide that which he did prohibit him and surely he would neuer exhort the faithfull to perseuer if he were not ready to furnish them with power required therto Be faithfull till death saied he to the Bishop of SMIRNA and I will giue thee a crowne of Glorie be diligent and remaine in faith labour couragiously and comfort your selues doe all your workes in Charitie runne so that you may obtaine the Prise We must eftsonnes with the great king demand of God the heauenly gift of Perseuerance and hope that he will grant it vs. Doe not permit thy seruant 's fall O Lord my onely HOPE my ALL In th-winter of this mortall day But when vntired time shall hasle To render back to th-earth the waste Of what I was be thou my stay That the happinesse to die in heauenly Charitie is a speciall gift of God CHAPTER V. 1. VVHen the heauenly king hath brought the soule which he loueth to the end of this life he doth not cease to assist her also in her blessed departure by which he drawes her to the mariage bed of eternall glorie which is the delicious fruite of holy Perseuerance And then deare THEO this soule wholy rauished with the loue of her well-beloued putting before her eyes the multitude of fauours and succours wherwith she was preuented and helped while she is yet in her pilgrimage she doth incessantly kisse this sweete helping hand which cōducted drew and supported her in the way and confesseth that it is of this diuine Sauiour that she holds her felicitie seeing he had done for her all that the Patriarch IACOB wished for his iorney at such time as he saw the Ladder to heauen O Lord saieth she then thou wast with me and guided me in the way by which I came Thou fedst me with the bread of thy Sacraments thou clothed'st me with the wedding garment of Charitie thou hast happily conducted me to this MANSION OF GLORIE which is thy HOVSE ô my eternall Father What remaines ô Lord saue that I should protest that thou art my God for euer and euer Amen O God my Lord my God for euer deare Thy hand hath bene my stay thy sacred grace My surest Guide and did me vpwards reare To the honour of thy heauenly MANSION PLACE Thus then we walke to eternall life for the accomplishment of which the Diuine Prouidence ordained the number distinction and succession of graces necessarie to it with their dependance of one another 2. He willed first with a true will that euen after the sinne of ADAM all men should be saued but vpon termes and by meanes agreeable to the condition of their nature endewed with free-will that is to saie he willed the saluation of all those that would contribute their consent to the graces and fauours which he prepared offered and distributed to this end 3. Now amongst these fauours his will was that VOCATION should be the first and that it should be so accommodated to our LIBERTIE that we might at our pleasure accept or reiect it and such as he saw would receiue it he would furnish with the sacred motions of PENANCE and determined to giue Charitie to such as should second these motions to those againe that were in Charitie he purposed to supplie with helpes necessarie to PERSEVERANCE and to such as should make vse of these diuine helpes he resolued to impart finall Perseuerance and the glorious FELICITIE of his eternall Loue. 4. And thus we may giue a reason of the order which is found in the effects of PROVIDENCE tending to saluation descending from the first to the last that is from the fruite which is GLORIE to the roote of this faire tree which is our Sauiours REDEMPTION For the Diuine Bountie doth follow MERITS with GLORIE CHARITIE with merits PENNANCE with CHARITIE OBEDIENCE to the first Vocation with Penance The VOCATION with obediēce to the vocation and our Sauiours REDEMPTION with a vocation vpon which Iacobs mysticall ladder doth rest as well towards heauē it ending in the louing bosome of the eternall Father in which he doth receiue and glorifie the Elect as also towards the earth being planted vpon the besome and pearsed side of our Sauiour who for this cause died vpon the Mont-Caluarie 5. And that this continuance of the effects of Prouidence was thus ordained with the same dependance which they haue of one another in the eternall will of God the Holy Church in the preface of one of her solemne Praiers doth witnesse in these words O ETERNALL and Almightie God who art Lord of the liuing and dead and art mercifull to all those whom thou foreseest are to be thine by faith and works as though she had acknowledged that Glorie which is the encrease and fruite of Gods Mercy towards
be enticed by any thing that hath a shew of good and temptations hooke is still baited with this kind of baite for as holy writ doth teach there is either some honorable good in the worlds sight to moue vs to the pride of a wordly life or a good delightfull to sense to carrie vs to carnall concupiscence or a good able to enrich vs to incite vs to auarice and couetousnesse of the eyes But if we keepe faith which can discerne betwixt the true Good we are to pursue and the false which we are to reiect liuelily attetiue to its office without doubt it will be a faithfull Sentinell to Charitie and will giue her intelligence of the euill that might approch the heart vnder colour of Good and Charitie would sodenly repulse it But because ordinarily we keepe our faith either a sleepe or lesse attentiue theÌ„ were requisite for the conseruation of Charitie we are often surprised by temptation which seducing our senses and they inciting the inferiour part of our soule to rebellioÌ„ it comes to passe eftsones that the superiour part of reason yeeldes to the violence of this reuoult and by committing the sinne looseth Charitie 4. Such was the progresse of the sedition which the disloiall Absolon stirred vp against his good Father DAVID for he laied before the people faire propositions in apparence which being receiued by the poore Israelites whose prudence was put a sleepe and smothered he did sollicite them in such sort that he wrought them to an entire rebellion so that the monefull Dauid was coÌ„strained to depart from Hierusalem with all his faithfull friends leauing there none of qualitie saue Sadoc and Abiathar Priests of the Almightie with their children now Sadoc was SEEING that is to saie a Prophet 5. For so most deare THEO selfe-loue finding our faith without attention and drowsie it presents vnto it vaine yet apparent goods seduceth our sense our imagination and the faculties of our soules and laies so hard at our free-wills that it brings them to an entire reuoult against the holy loue of God which then as a DAVID departs from our heart with all his traine that is with the gifts of the holy Ghost and the other heauenly vertues which are the inseparable companions of Charitie if not her proprieties and abilities nor doth there remaine in the HERVSALEM of our soule any vertue of importance sauing Sadoc the SEEING that is the gift of faith which by her exercise can make vs see eternall things and with him Abiathar that is the gift of hope with her action both which remaine much afflicted and sorrowfull yet maintaining in vs the Arch of Alliance that is the qualitie and tile of a Câ—RISTIAN purchased by Baptisme 6. Alas THEO what a pitifull spectacle is it to the Angels of peace to see the holy Ghost and his loue depart in this maÌ„ner out of our sinfull soules verily I think if they could weepe they would poure out infinite teares and with a mornefull voice lamenting our mishape would sing the Threnes which Ieremie throbed out when set vpon the threshold of the desolate Temple he contemplated the ruine of Hierusalem in the time of SEDECIAS Ah! with what griefe doe I behold HIERVSALEM famous of old For good and honorable men Of horror now become a den That heauenly loue is lost in a moment CHAPTER IV. 1. THe loue of God which brings vs to a neglect of our selues makes vs Citizens of the heauenly HierusaleÌ„ selfe-loue which pusheth vs forwards to the contempt of God makes vs slaues of the infernall Babilon True it is we come by little aÌ„d little to despise God but we haue no sooner done it but presently in a moment holy charitie doth forsake vs or rather she doth wholy perish I THEO for in the contempt of God doth mortall sinne consist and one onely mortall sinne doth banish Charitie from the soule for so much as it doth violate her tye and vnion with God which is obedience and submission to his will and as mans heart cannot liue diuided so Charitie which is the heart of the soule and the soule of the heart caÌ„ neuer be wounded but she is slaine as they saie of pearles which being conceiued of heauenly dâ—we doe perish if any drope of salte water get into their shell Indeede our soule doth not goe out of our bodie by little aÌ„d little but in a moment when the bodies indispositions are so great that she can no longer exercise the actions of life therein euen so at the very instant in which the heart is so disordered by passions that Charitie there can no longer raigne she quits and abandons it for she is so generous that she cannot leaue to raigne without leauing to liue 2. Habits gotten by human actions alone doe not perish by one onely contrarie act for a man is not saied to be intemperate for one onely act of intemperance nor is a painter held an vnskilfull maister for hauing once failed in his arte but as all such habits are gotten by the impression and in sequele of diuers acts so we loose them by a long cessation from their acts or by many contrarie acts But Charitie THEO which in a moment the holy Ghost poures into our hearts as soone as the conditions requisit to this infusion meete in vs is also in an instant expelled thence as soone as diuerting our will from the obedience due vnto God we haue accomplished consent to the rebellion and disloialtie to which temptation incites vs. 3. True it is Charitie encreaseth by degrees and goeth from perfection to perfection according as by our works or by the frequenting of Sacraments we make it place yet doth it not decrease by a lessening of perfection thereof for we neuer loose any bit of it but we loose it all In which it resembles PHIDIAS his Maister-peece so famous amongst the Auncients for they saie this great Grauer made in AtheÌ„s a picture of Minerua of Iuorie twentie seauen cubits high and in her Buckler wherein he expressed the battails of the Amasons and Giants he graued his owne picture with so great Arte that one could not take away one iot of it saieth Aristotle without defacing the whole statue so that this worke though it was perfected by adding peice to peice yet in a moment might be destroied by remouing any little parcell of the workmans feature In like maner THE though the Holy Ghost hauing infused Charitie into a soule doth eÌ„crease it by adding one degree to another and one perfection of loue to another yet so as that the resolution to preferre God's will before all things being the essentiall point of holy loue and that wherein the image of eternall loue that is of the Holy Ghost is represented one cannot withdraw one onely peece of it but presently Charitie doth wholy perish 4. This preference of God before all things is the deare child of Charitie And if AGAR being an Egiptian seeing her sonne in danger of death
admirable in their Maiestie if they were set at a lesse distance with our capacitie 4. Let vs crie out then THEO in all occurrences but let it be with an affectionat heart towards the most wise most puissant and most sweete prouidence of our eternall father O the depth of the riches wisdome ād knowledge of God O Sauiour IHESVS THEOT how excessiue are the riches of of the diuine goodnesse His loue towards vs is an incomprehensible Abisse whence he hath prouided for vs a rich sufficiencie or rather a rich abundance of meanes proper for our saluation ād sweetely to applie them he makes vse of a soueraigne wisdome hauing by his infinit knowledge foreseene and knowen all that was requisite to that effect Ah what can we feare nay rather what ought not we to hope for being the children of a father so rich in goodnesse to loue and desire to saue vs so vnderstanding to prouide meanes cōueniēt so wise to applie thē so good to will so cleare sighted to ordaine and so prudent to execute 5. Let vs neuer permit our minds to flutter by curiositie about Gods iudgemēts for as little Butterflies we shall burne our wings ād perish in this sacred flame These iudgmēts are incōprehensible or as S. GREGORIE Nazianzen saieth inscrutable that is one cannot search and sound the motiues the meanes and wayes by which he doth execute and finish them cannot be discerned and knowen And though the power of smelling be neuer so perfect in vs yet shall we at euery turne be at default not finding the sent for who can penetrate the sense the vnderstanding and intention of God Who was euer his Consellour to know his purposes and their motiues or who did euer preuent him with seruice Is it not he contrariwise who doth preuent vs in the benedictions of his grace to crowne vs with the felicitie of his glorie ah THEO all things are from him as being their Creatour all things are by him as being their Gouernour all things are in him as being their Protectour To him be honour for euer and euer Let vs walke in peace THEO in the waye of holy loue for he that shall enioye diuine loue in dying after death shall enioye loue eternally Of a certaine remainder of loue which oftentimes stayes in the soule that hath lost Charitie CHAPTER IX 1. THe life of a man who languishing on his deathes bed by little and little decaies doth hardly deserue to be termed life sith that though it be life yet is it so mingled with death that it is hard to saie whether it is a death as yet liuing or a life dying Alas how pitifull a spectacle it is THE but farre more lamentable is the state of a soule which vngratfull to her Sauiour goes hourely backward withdrawing her-selfe from God's loue by certaine degrees of indeuotion and disloyaltie till at length hauing quite forsaken it she is left in the horrible obscuritie of perdition and this loue which is in it's declining and which fades and perisheth is called imperfect loue because though it be entire in the soule yet seemes it not to be entirely that is it hardly keepes in the soule any longer but is vpon the point of forsaking it Now Charitie being separated from the soule by sinne there remaines oftentimes a certaine resemblance of Charitie which doth deceiue and put vs into a vaine muse and I will tell you what it is Charitie while it is in vs produceth many actions of loue towards God by the frequent exercise whereof our soule gets a habit and custome of louing God which is not Charitie but onely an impression and inclination which the multitude of actions leaues in our hearts 2. After a long habit of preaching or saying Masse deliberatly it happens often that in dreaming we vtter and speake the same things which we would saie in preaching or celebrating so that custome and habit acquired by election and vertue is in some sort afterward practised without election or vertue sith the actions of such as sleepe generally speaking haue nothing of vertue saue onely an apparent image and are onely the similitudes or representations thereof So charitie by the multitude of actes which she produceth doth imprīt in vs a certaine facilitie to loue which she leaues in vs euē after we are depriued of her presence I remember when I was a young scholler that in a village neare Paris there was a certaine well with an ECHO which would repeate the words that we pronoūced by it diuers times And if some Idiote without experience had heard this repetition of words he would haue beleeued that there had bene some bodie in the botome of the well who had done it But we had euen then knowen by Philosophie that none was in the well to reiterate our words but that there were onely certaine concauities in some one whereof our voices were assembled ād not finding through passage least they might altogether perish and not imploy the force that was left them they produced secōd voices ād they gathering together in an other cōcauitie produced a third the third a fourth ād so consequetly to the eleauenth so that those voices heard in the well were not now our voices but resemblances and images of the same And indeede there was a great difference betwixt our voices and those For when we made a long continuance of words we had but some few of them rendred by the ECHO shortning the pronunciation of syllables which she slightly passed ouer with tones and accents quite different from ours nor did she begin to forme her words till we had quite pronounced them In fine they were not words of a liuing man but as one would saie the words of any emptie and vaine Rocke which notwithstanding did so well counterfeit man's voice whence she sprung that a simple bodie would haue bene misled and beguiled by her 3. Now this is it that I would saie when holy CHARITIE meets a pliable soule wherein she doth long reside she produceth a second loue which is not a loue of Charitie though it issue from Charitie but it is a humane loue which is yet so like to Charitie that though she leaues behind this her picture and likenesse which doth so represent her that one who were ignorant would be deceiued therein not vnlike to the birds on Zeuxis his painted raysins which they deemed to be true raysins so generally had Art imitated nature And yet there is a faire difference betwixt Charitie and humane loue which she doth beget in vs for the voice of Charitie doth pronoūce denoūce and worke in our hearts Gods Commandments humane loue which remaines after her doth indeede pronounce the commandments and denounceth sometimes all of them yet doth neuer effect them all but some few onely Charitie doth pronounce and put together all the sillables that is all the circumstances of Gods commandments humane Loue alwayes leaues out some of them especially straightnesse and puritie of
it selfe with his robes without taking from him takes all that he hath and without impouerishing him is enriched with all his wealth as the aire takes light not lessening the originall brightnesse of the sunne and the Myrror the grace of the countenance not diminishing his that lookes in it 7. They were made abominable like to the things they loued saied the Prophet speaking of the wicked so might one saie of the good that they are become louely as the things they loued Behold I beseech you S. CLARE of Mountfalco her heart it was so delighted in our Sauiours Passion and in meditating the most holy Trinitie that it drew into it selfe all the markes of the passion and an admirable representation of the Trinitie being made such as the things she loued The loue which the great Apostle S. PAVLE bore to the life death and passion of our Sauiour was so great that it drew the very life death and passion of this heauenly Sauiour into his louing seruants heart whose will was filled with it by dilection his memorie by meditation and his vnderstanding by contemplation But by what canall or conduict was the milde IESVS conueied into SAINT PAVLâ—S heart by the canall of complacence as he himselfe declareth saying Farre be it from me euer to glorie saue in the crosse of our Sauiour IESVS-CHRIST for if you doe marke it betwixt glorying in a person and compleasing ones selfe in the same taking glorie and taking pleasure in a thing there is no other difference sauing that he who glories in a thing to pleasure addes honour honour not being without pleasure though pleasure can be without honour This soule then had such a complacence and esteemed himselfe so much honored in the diuine Goodnesse which appeares in the life death and passion of our Sauiour that he tooke no pleasure but in this honour And it is this that made him saie be it farre from me to Glorie saue in the crosse of my Sauiour as he also saied that he liued not himselfe but IESVS-CHRIST liued in him How by holy complacence we are made as little children at our Sauiours breasts CHAPTER II. 1. O God how happie the soule is who takes pleasure in learning to know that God is God and that his bountie is an infinite bountie For this heauenly spouse by this Gate of Complacence enters into her and suppes with vs as we with him We feede our selues with his sweetenesse by the pleasure which we take therein and recollect our heart in the diuine perfections by the repose we take therein and this repast is a supper by reason of the repose which doth follow it complacence making vs sweetely repose in the deliciousnesse of the good which delightes vs and wherwith we feede our heart For as you know THEO the heart feedes of that which delightes her wheÌ„ce in our French tongue we saie that some are fed with honours others with riches as the wise-man saied that the mouthers of fooles are fed with ignorance and the soueraigne wisdome protesteth that he is fed that is he is pleased with no other thing then to doe the will of his Father In conclusion the Phisitions Aphorisme is true what is sauorie nourisheth and the Philosophers what pleaseth feedeth 2. Let my well-beloued come into his garden saied the sacred spouse and let him eate therein the fruite of his Aple-trees Now the heauenly spouse comes into his garden when he comes into the deuote soule For seeing his delight is to be with the children of men where can he better lodge then in the countrie of the minde which he made to his likenesse aÌ„d similitude He himselfe doth set in this garden the louing Complacence which we haue in his bountie aÌ„d whereof we feede as likewise his Goodnesse doth take his repast and repose in our complacence so that againe our complacence is augmented to perceiue that God is pleased to see vs take pleasure in him in such sort that from these reciprocall pleasures the loue of incomparable Complacence doth spring by which our soule being made a gardeÌ„ of her spouse and hauing from his bountie the Aple-trees of his delightes she reÌ„ders him the fruite thereof being that he is pleased in the complacence she takes in in him Thus doe we draw Gods heart into ours aÌ„d he disperseth in it his precious Baulme And thus is that practised which the holy Bride spoke with such ioye The king of my heart hath led me into his closet we will exult and reioyce in the minde full of thy breasts more amiable then wine the good doe loue thee for I praie you THEO what are the closets of this king of loue but his papes which abouÌ„de in the varietie of sweetenesse aÌ„d delightes The breasts and duggs of the mother are the closet of the little infants treasures he hath no other riches then those which are more precious vnto him then gold or the Topase more beloued then the rest of the world 3. The soule then which doth contemplate the infinite treasures of diuine perfections in her well-beloued holds her selfe too happie and rich in that loue doth make her Mistrisse by complacence of all the perfections and contentments of her deare spouse And euen as the babie doth giue little ierts towards his mothers Pape and hops with ioye to see theÌ„ discouered aÌ„d as the mother againe on her part doth â—resent them vnto him with a loue alwayes a little forwards euen so the deuoute soule doth feele tâ—â— dauncings and motions of an incomparable ioye through the content which she hath in beholding the treasures of the perfections of the king of her holy loue but especially when she sees that he himselfe doth discouer them by loue and that amongst them that perfection of his infinite loue doth excellently shine Hath not this faire soule reason to crie O my king how amiable thy riches are and how rich thy loues ah which of vs haue more ioye thou that enioyest it or I who reenioye it we daunce with mirth in memorie of thy breasts and thy duggs so plentifull in all excellencie of deliciousnesse I because my well-beloued doth enioye it thou because thy well-beloued doth rereeÌ„ioy it for so we doe both eÌ„ioye it sith thy goodnesse makes thee eÌ„ioye my reenioying aÌ„d my loue makes me reenioye thy enioying Ah! the iust and the good doe loue thee and how can one be good and not loue so great a goodnesse Wordly Princes keepe their treasures in the closets of their Palaces their armour in their Castles But the heaueÌ„ly Prince keepes his treasures in his bosome his armes within his breaste and because his treasure is his goodnesse as his weapons are his loues his breaste and bosome resembles those of a teÌ„der mother who hath two faire duggs as two closets rich with the sweetenesse of good milke armed with as many darts to subdue her little deare babie as it makes shoots in sucking 4. Nature suâ—ely lodged the duggs in the
ABRAHAMS bosome after this child 3. Commiseration is also great according to the greatnesse of their sufferances whom we loue for how little soeuer the frieÌ„dshipe be if the euells which we see endured be extreame they cause in vs great pitie This made Cesar weepe ouer Pompey and the daughters of Hierusalem could not stay themselues from weeping ouer our Sauiour though the greater part of them did not much affect him as also the friends of IACOB though wicked friends made great lamentation in beholding the dreadfull spectacle of his incomparable miserie and what a stroke of griefe was it in the heart of IACOB to thinke that his deare child was dead of a death so cruell as to be deuoured by a sauage beaste But besids all this commiseration is much strengthened by the presence of the obiect in miserie this caused the poore Agar absent her selfe from her languishing sonne to disburden her selfe in some sort of the compassionate griefe which she felt saying I will not see the child die as contrariwise our Sauiour weepes seeing the sepulchre of his well-beloued Lazarus and beholding his deare Hierusalem And the good IACOB was struck with griefe when he saw the bloodie Robe of his poore little IOSEPH 4. Now as many causes also doe augment complacence As a friend is more deare vnto vs we take more pleasure in his contentment and his good doth enter more deeply into our heart which if it be excellent our ioye is also greater but if we see our friend while he enioyes it our reioycing becomes extreame When the good IACOB knew that his sonne liued ô God what ioye his heart returned home he reuiued yea as one would saie returned to life But what is this he reuiued returned to life THEO SPIRITS die not their proper death but by sinne which seperateth them from God who is their true supernaturall life yet die they sometimes by anothers death and this happened to IAGOB of whom we speake for loue which drawes into the heart of the louer the good and euill of the thing beloued the one by complacence the other by commiseration drew the death of the louely IOSEPH into the louing IACOBS heart and by a miracle impossible to any other power but loue the minde of the good Father was full of the death of him that liued and raigned deceiued affection forerunning the effect 5. But as soone as he had knowen that his sonne was a liue Loue who had so long detained the presupposed death of the sonne in the good Fathers heart seeing that he was deceiued speedely reiected this imaginarie death and made enter in its place the true life of the saied sonne Thus then he returned to a new life because the life of his sonne entred into his heart by complacence and animated him with an incomparable contentment with which finding himselfe satisfied and not esteeming any other pleasure in comparison of this it fufficeth me saieth he if my child IOSEPH liue But when with his proper eyes he experienced his deare childs greatenesse in Gessan hanging vpon him and for a good space weeping about his necke ah now saieth he I will die ioyfull my deare SoÌ„ne sith I haue seene thy face and thou dost yet liue ô God what a ioye THEO and how excellently expressed by this old man For what would he saie by these words now I will die contented sith I haue seene thy face but that his content was so great that it was able to render death it selfe ioyfull and agreeable being the most discomfortable and horrible thing in the world Tell me I pray you THEO who hath more sense of IOSEPHES good he that enioyes it or IACOB who reenioyes it Certainly if good be not good but in respect of the content which it affordeth vs the father hath as much yea more then the Sonne for the sonne together with the dignitie of VICE-ROY whereof he is possessed hath coÌ„sequently many cares aÌ„d affaires but the Father doth enioye by Complacence and purely possesse all that good is in this his sonnes greatenesse and dignitie without charge care or trouble I will dye Ioyfull saieth he Alas who doth not see his contentment if euen death cannot trouble his ioye who can euer chang it if his content can liue amidst the distresses of death who can euer bereeue him of it Loue is strong as death and the ioyes of loue doe surmount the anoyes of death for death caÌ„not kill but doth reuiue them so that as there is a fire which miraculously is feed in a fountaine nere Greenoble as I surely know and S. AVGVSTINE doth attest so holy Charitie is so strong that she doth nourish her flames and consolations in the saddest anguishes of death and the waters of tribulations cannot extinguish her fires Of the commiseration and Complacence of loue in our Sauiours Passion CHAPTER V. 1. VVHen I see my Sauiour vpon the mouÌ„t Oliuet with his soule sad euen to death O Lord Iâ—SVS saie I who could haue borne these sorrowes of death in the soule of life if not loue who mouing commiseration drew thereby our miseries into thy soueraigne heart Now a deuote soule seeing this abisse of sorrow and distresse in this Diuine louer how can she be without a holily louing griefe But considering on the other side that none of these her well-beloued's afflictions proceede from any imperfectioÌ„ or want of force but from the greatnesse of his most deare loue she cannot but melt with a holily dolorous loue so that she cries out I am blacke with griefe by compassion but I am faire with loue by Complacence the anguishes of my well-beloued haue changed my hew for how can a faithfull louer see him so tormented whom she loues more then her life without becomming appalled withered and dried vp with griefe Nomades tents perpetually exposed to the outrage of weather and warrs are almost still beaten and couered with dust and I open to sorrows which by commiseration I receiue from the excessiue suffrances of my diuine Sauiour I am quite couered with anguishe and split with griefe but because his griefes whom I loue proceede from his loue as much as they afflict me by compassion they delight me by Complacence For how must not a faithfull louer needes haue an extreme coÌ„teÌ„t to see her selfe so much beloued of her heauenly Spouse And hence the beautie of loue appears in the foulenesse of griefe And though I weare mourning weedes for the Passion and death of my King deformed and blacked with griefe yet am I not without an incomparable delight to behold the excesse of his loue amidst the panges of his sorrowes And the tents of SALOMON brodered and wrought with an incomparable diuersitie of worke was neuer so goodlie as I am content and consequently sweete amiable and agreeable in the varietie of the essaies of loue which I feele amongst these griefes Loue doth equalize the louers ah I see this deare louer who is a burning fire in a thornie
wōders of their differrent proprieties which manifest their makers power so that this diuine royall Psalmist hauing composed a great number of Psalmes with this inscription Praise God after he had rūne through all the creaturs holily inuiting them to blesse the diuine Maiestie and passed ouer a great varietie of meanes and instruments fit to celebrate the praises of this eternall Bountie in the end as falling downe through shortenesse of breath he closeth his sacred song with this Eiaculation Let euery spirit praise our Lord that is let all that hath life nor liue nor breath but to blesse their Creatour following the encouragement he had elsewhere giuen VVith high and animated straine Let 's striue to celebrate amaine Euen who can best th Eternall's fame Let shirlest voice awakt by Loue Beare vp the starrie vaults aboue The Peeleresse glorie of his name So the great S. FRANCIS soung the Canticle of the Sunne and a thousand other excellent benedictions to inuoke the creaturs to aide his languishing heart in that he could not according to his desire praise the deare Sauiour of his heart So the heauenly Spouse perceiuing her selfe almost to sound amidst the violent essaies she vsed in blessing and magnifying the well-beloued king of her heart ah cried she out to her companions the diuine Spouse hath led me by contemplation into his wine-celler making me taste the incomparable delightes of the perfections of his excellencie and I haue so moistened and holily inebriated my selfe by the holy complacence which I tooke in this abisse of beautie that my soule languisheth wounded with a louingly mortall desire which vrgeth me euerlastīgly to praise a goodnesse eminent Come alas I beseech you to the succour of my poore heart which is vpon the point of falling downe dead For pitie susteine it and vnderprope it with flowres solace it and enuirone it with aples or else it will fall in a trance Complacence drawes the diuine sweetes into her heart which doth so ardently fill it selfe thereof that it is ouer charged But the LOVE OF BENEVOLENCE makes our heart sallie out of it selfe and spend it selfe in vapours of delicious perfumes that is in all kinds of holy praises And yet not being able to doe it with the aduantage which it desires ô saieth it let all creaturs come and contribute the flowres of their benedictions their aples of thankesgiuings honours and adorations so that on euery side we may smell odours poured out to his glorie whose infinite sweetenesse doth passe all honour and whom we can neuer worthily enough magnifie 2. It is this diuine passion that brings out so many sermons makes the Zaueriuses the Berzeses the Antonies with a number of Iesuites Capucins and Religious and other Churchmen of all sorts passe the pikes in India Iaponia Maraig to th' end the holy name of IESVS may be knowen acknowledged and adored through out that vaste nation It is this holy passion which penns so many spirituall bookes build's so many churches altars and pious houses and to conclud which makes so many of God's seruants watch labour and die in the flames of Zeale which doe consume and spend them How the desire we haue to praise God makes vs aspire to heauen CHAPTER X. 1. THe soule in Loue perceiuing that she cānot saciate the desire she hath to praise her well-beloued while she liues in the miseries of this world and knowing that the praises which are giuen in heauen to the diuine goodnesse are sunge in an aire incomparably more delightfull ô God saieth she how praiseworthie the praises are which are poured fourth by those blessed spirits before the throne of my heauenly king how blessed are their blessings ô what a happinesse is it to heare this melodie of the most holy eternitie where the delicious concurrence of vnlike and wholy different voices doth make these admirable accords wherein all the parts redoubling one vpon another by a continued succession and an incomprehensible combination and pursute perpetuall Allelui'as doe resound from euery side 2. Voices which for their sound are compared to thunder trumpets or to the noyse of a troubled seas waues yet voices which for their incomparable delight and sweetenesse are compared to the melodie of harpes delicatly and deliciously touched by a most skillfull hand And voices which doe all accord in one to sing the ioyfull Pascall Cāticle ALLELVIA praise God Amē praise God for know THEO that there is a voice heard from the diuine Throne which ceaseth not to crie to the happie inhabitants of the glorious heauenly Hierusalem Praise God ô you that are his seruants and you that feare him great and little at which all the innumerable multitude of Saints the quires of Angels and men with one consent doe answere in singing with all their force ALLELVIA praise God But what is this admirable voice which issuing out from the diuine Throne doth announce the ALLELVIAS to the Elect if not the most holy complacence which being receiued into the heart makes them feele the sweetenesse of the Diuine perfections wherevpon a louing beneuolence the source of heauenly praises is bred in thē so that complacence cōming from the Throne intimateth Gods greatnesse to the Blessed and beneuolence excites them mutually to pouer out the odours of praise before the Throne And so by way of answere they eternally sing ALLELVIA that is praise God The complacence come frō the Throne into the heart and Beneuolence goes from the Throne 3. O how amiable is this TEMPLE wholy resounding with praise ô what content haue such as liue in this sacred Residence where so many heauenly Philomels and Nightingails doe sing with strife of loue the Canticles of eternall delight 4. The heart then that in this world can neither sing nor heare the diuine praises to it's liking falls into incredible desires of being deliuered from the bands of this life to passe to the other where the heauenly well-beloued is so perfectly praised and these desires hauing taken possession of the heart doe often times become so strōg and powrefull in the heauenly Louers heart that banishīg all other desires they make all terreane thīgs disgustfull and render the soule languishing and loue-sicke yea sometimes the holy passion goes so farre as if God permitted one would die of it 5. So the glorious and Seraphicall Louer S. FRANCIS hauing bene long wrought with this strong affection of praising God in the end towards his death after he had had assurance by a speciall Reuelation of his eternall saluation he could not conteine his ioye but waisted dayly as if his life and soule had fumed out like incense vpon the flamme of ardent desires which he had to see his Maister incessantly to praise him So that these flames dayly encreasing his soule left his bodie by a force which he made towards heauen for it was thought good to the Diuine prouidence that he should die pronoūcing these sacred words O Lord drawe my soule out of this prison
but one yet containes it the vertue and propertie of all the others and is called a contemplatiue affection 6. So it is an opinion amongst Diuines that Angels higher in glorie haue a knowledge of God and the creaturs much more simple then such as are inferiour and that the SPECIES or IDâ—AS by which they see are more vniuersall so that what the lesse perfect Angels see by diuers SPECIES and lookes the more perfect see by fewer SPECIES and castes of the eye And the Great S. AVGVSTINE followed by S. THOMAS saieth that in heauen we shall not haue these great vicissitudes varieties changes and rechanges of thougtes and cogitatioÌ„s which passe and repasse froÌ„ obiect to obiect and from one thing to another but with one sole thought we may be attentiue to the diuersitie of many things and get the knowledge of them By how much further water runs from its source by so much the more it doth deuide it selfe and weare out its banks if it be not kept in by a continuall care and perfections doe seperate and deuid themselues according as they are more remote from God their source but approaching nigh him they are vnited till such time as we shall be swallowed vp in this soueraignely singular perfection which is the necessarie vnitie and THE BETTER PART that which MAGDALEN made choice of and which shall not be taken away from her That we doe contemplate without paine which is a third difference betwixt it and meditation CHAPTER VI. 1. NOw the simple view of contemplation is performed in one of these three fashioÌ„s we doe sometimes onely eye some one of Gods perfections as for example his infinite Bountie not thinking of the other ATTRIBVTS or vertues thereof As a Bridegroome simply staying his eye vpon the faire complection of his Bride yet by this meanes should truely see all her countenance for as much as the complection is spred in a sort through all the partes thereof aÌ„d should not be attentiue to the feature grace or other respectes of beautie for in like manner the mind often times considering the soueraigne goodnesse of the DIVINITIE although withall it sees the IVSTICE WISDOME and POWER yet is it onely attentiue to the GOODNESSE to which the simple view of it's contemplation is addressed Sometimes also we doe attentiuely behold in God diuers of his infinite perfections yet with a simple view and without distinction as he who with one glance of his eye passing his view from the top to the toe of his spouse richly deckt should attentiuely in generall haue seene all and nothing in particular not well discerning what carkanet or gowne she wore nor what countenance she had or how she lookt but onely that all was faire and comely For so in contemplation we often passe ouer sundrie Diuine Greatnesses and perfections in generall with one onely touch of consideration with out being able to render a reason of any thing in particular saue onely that all is perfectly good and faire and finally we doe at other times consider neither many nor onely one of the diuine perfections but onely some Diuine action or worke to which we are attentiue as for example to the act of MERCY by which God pardons sinnes or the act of Creation or the Resurrection of Lazarus or Conuersion of S. PAVLE as a Bridegroome who should not eye his Spouses eyes but onely the sweetenesse of the lookes she castes vpon him nor take notice of her mouth but onely of the delight of the words vttered by it And in this point THEO the soule makes a certaine sallie of loue not onely vpon the actions she considereth but vpon him whence they proceede Thou art Good ô Lord and in thy goodnesse teach me thy iustifications Thy throte that is the word which cometh from it is most delicious and thou art wholy desirable Ah! how sweete are thy words to my bowells sweeter then honie to my mouth or else with S. THOMAS My Lord my God and with S. MAGDELEN RABBONI ah Maister 2. But take which of these three wayes you will Contemplation hath still this excellencie that it is done with delight for that it supposeth that God and his holy loue is found that he is enioyed delighted in saying I haue found him whom my heart loueth I haue found him nor will I let him goe In which it differs from Meditation which almost alwayes is performed in paine labour and discourse our mind passing in it from consideration to consideration searching in many places either the well-beloued of her Loue or the loue of her well-beloued IACOB labours in meditation to obtaine Rachel but in contemplation he reioyceth with her forgetting his labours The diuine Spouse as a shephearde which he also is prepared a sumptious banquet according to the countrie fashion for his sacred Spouse which he so described that mystically it represented all the mysteries of mans RedeÌ„ption I came into my gardeÌ„ quoth he I haue gathered my myrrhe with all my perfumes I haue eaten my honie-coÌ„be with my honie I haue mingled my wine with my milke eate my frieÌ„ds aÌ„d drinke and inebriate your selues my dearest THE ha when was it I pray you that our Sauiour came into his garden if not when he came into his mothers purest huÌ„blest and sweetest wombe replenished with all the flourishing plaÌ„tes of holy vertues And what is ment by our Sauiours gathering of his myrrhe with his perfumes but to ioyne sufferaÌ„ce to suffereÌ„ce vntill death aÌ„d death of the crosse heaping by that meanes merit vpon merit and treasurs vpoÌ„ treasurs to enrich his spirituall children And how did he eate his honie-combe with his honie but when he liued a new life reuniting his soule more sweete then honie to his pearced and wounded bodie with more holes then a honie-combe And when ascending into heauen he tooke possessioÌ„ of all the circumstances and dependance of his diuine glorie what other thing did he if not mixe the reioycing wine of the essentiall glorie of his soule with the delightfull milke of the perfect felicitie of his bodie in a more excellent manner then hitherto he had done 3. Now in all these diuine mysteries which containe all the others there is sufficient to eate and drinke for all the deare friends and to inebriate the dearest some of them doe eate and drinke but they eate more then they drinke and so are not drunke others eate and drinke but drinke more theÌ„ they eate and those are they that are inebriated Now to eate is to meditate for in meditating a maÌ„ doth chewe turning his spirituall meate hither and thither betwixt the teeth of consideration to bruise breake and digest it which is not done without some trouble To drinke is to contemplate which we doe without paine or difficultie yea with pleasure and facilitie but to be inebriated is to contemplate so frequeÌ„tly and ardently that one is quite out of himselfe to be wholy in God O holy and sacred drunkennesse which
vnion doth vrge and aide vs towards the spirituall vnion of which we speake Of the soueraigne degree of vnion by suspension or rauishment CHAPTER III. 1. VVHether therefore the vnion of our soule with God be made perceptibly or imperceptibly God is alwaies the Authour thereof for none can be vnited to him but by going vnto him nor can any goe vnto him vnlesse he be drawen by him as the Heauenly Spouse doth testifie saying none can come vnto me vnlesse my Father drawes him which his holy Spouse doth also protest saying Drawe me and we will runne in the odour of thy perfumes 2. Now the perfection of this vnion consisteth of two points that it be pure ād that it be strong May not I goe towards a man with intention to behold him better to speake to hī to obtaine some thīg of him to smell the perfumes which are about him to be supported by him and in that case certainly I goe towards him and ioyne my selfe vnto him yet my approch and vnion is not my principall pretention but I onely make that a meanes and way to the obtaining of another thing But if I approch and ioyne my selfe vnto him for no other end then to be neere vnto him and to enioye this neighbourhood and vniō it is then an approch of pure and simple vnion 3. So many doe approch vnto our Sauiour some to heare him as Magdalen some to be cured by him as the sicke of the fluxe others to adore him as the three kinges others to serue him as Martha others to vanquish their incredulitie as S. THOMAS others to anointe him as MAGDALEN IOSEPH NICODEMVS but his diuine Sunamite seekes to find him and hauing found him desires no other thing then to hold him fast and holding him neuer to quit him I hold him saieth she and I will neuer let him goe IACOB saieth S. B RNARD hauing fast hold of God will let him goe so he may receiue his benediction but the Sunamite will not let hī depart for all the benedictiōs he can giue her for her aime is not the benedictions of God but the God of benedictiōs saying with Dauid what is there for me in heauen or in earth what can I pretend but thy selfe thou art the God of my heart and my part for euer 4. Thus was the glorious Mother at the foote of her sonnes Crosse Ah! what dost thou search ô mother of life in this Mount of Caluarie in this place of death I am looking would she haue saied my child who is the life of my life And why dost thou looke him to be close by him But now he is amidst the dolours of death Ah! it is not mirth I seeke it is himselfe and my heart in loue makes me looke all about to be vnited vnto that amiable child my tenderly beloued In fine the pretention of the soule in this vnion is onely to be with her Louer 5. But when the vnion of the soule with God is most strict and most close it is called by Diuines an INHESION or ADHESION for that the soule thereby is taken fastened glued and nayled to the Diuine Maiestie so that she cannot easily loose or drawe her selfe backe againe Looke I praie you vpon a man taken and locked by attention to the delight of a harmonious musike or else which is idle to the fopperie of a game at cardes you would drawe him from it but cānot what businesse soeuer attend him at home there is no forcing him thence in it euen meate and drinke is forgotten O God THEOT how much more ought the soule that is in loue with God to be fastened and locked being vnited to the Diuinitie of the infinite Sweetenesse and who is taken and wholy possessed by this obiect of incomparable perfection Such was the soule of that great vessell of Election who cried-out To th' end I might liue with God I am nayld to the Crosse with IESVS-CHRIST and with all he protests that nothing no not death it selfe can separate him from his Maister This effect of loue was also practised betweene Dauid and Ionathas for it is saied that the soule of Ionathas was glued to Dauids to conclud it is a famous AXIOME amongst the Aunciant Fathers that Friendshipe that can know end was neuer true Friendshipe as elswhere I haue saied 5. See I beseech you THEO the little childe cleeuing to and colling his mother if one offer to take him thence to laie him in his cradle it being high time he delaies and essaies by all the meanes he is able not to forsake that amiable bosome and if one make him loose one hand he claspes hold with the other but if one carrie him quite away he fals a crying and keeping his heart and his eyes where he cannot keepe his bodie with shrikes he pursues his deare mother till by rocking he is brought a sleepe So the soule who by the exercise of vnion is come to be taken and fastened to the Diuine Goodnesse can hardly be pulled from it by force ād a great deale of paine It is not possible to make her loose hold if one diuert her Imagination she ceaseth not to apprehend her selfe taken by the vnderstanding and if one loose her vnderstanding she cleeues by the will or if yet by some violent distraction they vrge her will to quit her hold from moment to moment she returns towards her deare obiect from which she cannot be entirely vntyed but she striues all she can to linke together againe the sweete bands of her vnion with him by the frequent returns which she makes by stelth experiencing in it S. PAVLES paine for she is pressed with two desires to be freede of all exteriour imploiment to remaine with IESVS-CHRIST in her interiour and yet to put hand to the worke of Obedience which the very vnion with IESVS CHRIST doth teach her to be requisite 6. And the B. S. TERESA saieth excellently that the vnion being arriued at this perfection as to hold vs taken and tyed to our Sauiour is not distinguished from a rauishment suspension or hanging of the Spirit But that it is called onely vnion suspension or hanging when it is short and when it is long Extasie or rauishment because indeede the soule which is so firmely and closely vnited to her God that she cannot easily be drawen thence is not in her selfe but in God as a crucified bodie is not in it selfe but vpon the crosse or as Iuie grasping the wall is not in it's selfe but vpon the wall 7. But to auoyde all equiuocation know THEO that Charitie is a place and a place of perfection and he that is endued with more Charitie is more straitly vnited and fastened vnto God And we speake not of that vnion which is permanent in vs by manner of habite be we sleeping or waking we speake of the vniō made by action which is one of the Exercises of loue and Charitie Imagine then that S. PAVLE S. DENIS S. AVGVSTINE
without being rauished or prophecying as one may also be rauished and prophecie without hauing Charitie but I affirme that he that in his Rapture hath more light of vnderstanding to admire God then heate of will to loue him is to stand vpon his garde for it is to be feared that this extasie may be false and rather puff vp the mind then edifie putting him indeede as another Saule Balaam and Caiphas amongst the Prophets yet leauing him amongst the reprobate 3. The second marke of true Extasies consisteth in the third species of Extasies which we touched aboue an Extasie wholy sacred wholy amiable and which crownes the two others and it is the Extasie of the worke and life The entire obseruance of Gods commaÌ„dement is not within the bounds of mans strength yet is it within the the confins of the instinct of mans mind as being most conformable to naturall light and reason so that liuing according to Gods Commandements doth not put vs by our naturall inclination yet besides God's CoÌ„mandmets there are certaine heauenly inspirations to the effecting of which it is not onely requisite that God doe raise vs aboue our owne strength but also he must eleuate vs aboue our naturall instincts and inclinations because allbeit these inspirations are not opposite to humane capacitie yet doe they exceede it surmounte it and are placed aboue it in such sort as we doe not then liue a ciuill honest and Christian life onely but a supernaturall spirituall deuoute and extaticall life that is a life which in all respects is without the compasse and aboue the condition of our nature 4. Not to steale not to lye not to commit luxurie to praie to God not to sweare in vaine to loue and honour ones Father not to kill is to liue according to mans naturall reason but to forsake all our fortuns to fall in loue with Pouertie to entitle and obserue her in the qualitie of a most delightfull Mistresse to repute reproches contemptes abiections persecutions martyrdomes Felicities and beatitudes to containe ones selfe within the termes of an absolute chastitie and in fine to liue amidst the world and in this mortall life contrarie to the worlds opinions and MAXIMES and against the currant of the worlds floode dayly by resignatioÌ„s renunciatioÌ„s and abnegations of our selues is not to liue naturally but supernaturally it is not to liue in our selues but with out and aboue our selues and because none is able to raise himselfe in this manner aboue himselfe vnlesse the Almightie draw him thence it is that this kind of life is a perpetuall rauishment and a continuall Extasie in action and operation 5. You are dead saied the great Apostles to the Rodians and your life is hidden with IESVS CHRIST in God Death seperats the soule from the bodie and the confines thereof What will then these words of the Apostle saie THEO you are dead it is as much as though he had saied you liue not in your selues nor with in the compasse of your naturall condition your soule doth not now liue according to her selfe but aboue herselfe The Phenix is Phenix in this that by the helpe of the Sunne beames she doth annihilate her owne life to exchang it for one more sweete and vigorous hiding as it were her life vnder the dead cinders Silke-wornes doe chang their beeing of wormes becoming butterflies Bees are bred wormes then they turne Nymphes and creepe and finally they become flying bees We doe the like THEO if we be spirituall for we forsake our naturall life to liue a more eminent life and aboue our selues hiding all this new life in God with IESVS CHRIST who alone sees knowes and bestowes it Our new life is heauenly loue which doth quicken and animate our soule and this Loue is wholy hidden in God and Godly things with IESVS CHRIST for as the sacred Euangelicall Text saieth after our Sauiour had a while showen himselfe to his Disciples in mounting to heauenwards at length he was eÌ„uironed with a cloude which tooke him and hid him froÌ„ their view IESVS CHRIST theÌ„ aboue is hidden in God And IESVS CHRIST is our loue which is the life of our soule Therefore our life is hidden in God with IESVS CHRIST and when IESVS CHRIST who is our Loue and coÌ„sequeÌ„tly our spirituall life shall appeare in the day of IudgmeÌ„t we shall theÌ„ appeare together with him in glorie that is IESVS CHRIST our Loue will glorifie vs coÌ„municating vnto vs his felicitie aÌ„d brightnesse How Loue is the life of the soule with a continuation of the extaticall life CHAPTER VII 1. THe soule is the first act and principle of all the vitall motions of man and as Aristotle expresseth it the PRINCIPLE wherby we liue feele and vnderstand whence it followes that from the diuersitie of motions we gather the diuersitie of lifes so that beastes that haue no naturall motion are entirely lifelesse Euen so THEO Loue is the first ACT or PRINCIPLE of our deuote or spirituall life by which we liue feele and moue and our spirituall life is such as are the motions of our loue and a heart that wants motion and affection wants loue as contrariwise a heart possessed of loue is not without Loue-motions As soone therefore as we haue set our affection vpon IESVS CHRIST we haue consequently placed in him our spirituall life Now our Loue is hidden in God aboue as God was hidden in it while he was heare belowe Our life therefore is hiddeÌ„ in him aÌ„d wheÌ„ he shall appeare in glorie our life and our Loue shall likewise appeare with him in God Hence S. IGNATIVS as S. Dâ—NIS reporteth affirmed that his Loue was crucified as though he would haue saied my naturall and humane loue with all the passions that depend of it is nailed to the crosse I haue put it to death as a mortall Loue which made my heart liue a mortall life and as my Sauiour was crucified and died according to his mortall life to rise againe to an immortall life so did I die with him vpon the Crosse according to his naturall loue which was the mortall life of my soule to th' end I might rise againe to the supernaturall life of a loue which in that it can be exercised in Heauen is also immortall 2. When therefore we see a soule that hath Raptures in Praier by which she goes out of her selfe and mounts vnto God and yet hath no Extasies in her life I meane leades not an exemplar life vnited to God by abnegation of worldly desires mortification of the will and naturall inclinations by an interiour calmenesse simplicitie humilitie and aboue all by a continuall Charitie beleeue it THEO all these Raptures are exceedingly doubtfull and dangerous These are Raptures fit to stirre vp men to admiration but not to sanctifie them For what can it profit the soule to be reared vp in rauishment to God by Praier while in her life and conuersation she is rauished by earthly foule and naturall
euen as the flame began to sease hpon her the Eagle came in with a quicke flight and beholding this vnlooked for and sad spectackle strooke through with griefe she loosed her talons let fall her prey and spred herselfe vpon her poore beloued Mistresse and couering her with her wings as it were to defend her from the fire or for pities sake to embrace her she remained there constant and immoueable couragiously dying and burning with her the ardour of her affection not giuing place to the ardour of flames and fire that by that meanes she might become the VICTIME ād HOLOCAVSTE of her braue and prodigious loue as her Mistresse was already of death and fire 3. O THEO to what a high flight this Eagle moues vs our Sauiour hath bred vs vp from our tender youth yea he formed vs and receiued vs as a louing Nource into the armes of his Diuine Prouidence euen from the time of our Conception Not beeing yet thy holy hand did make me Scarce borne into thy armes thy loue did take me He made vs his owne by Baptisme and by an incomprehensible loue doth tenderly nourish both our bodie and soule to purchace vs life he suffered death and with his owne flesh and blood hath fed vs Ah what rests then my deare THEO what Conclusion are we to draw from hence but onely that such as liue should liue no more to them selues but to him that died for them that is to saie that we should consecrate all the moments of our life to the Diuine Loue of our Sauiours death bringing home to his glorie all our preys all our conquests all our actions all our thoughts and affections Let vs behold THEO this heauenly Redeemour extended vpon the Crosse as vpon a funerall Pile of honour where he died of Loue for vs yea of loue more painefull then death it selfe or a death more pleasant then loue it selfe Ah doe we not spiritually cast our selues vpon him to die vpon the Crosse with him who for the loue of vs freely died I will hold him should we saie if we had the Eagles generositie and will neuer depart from him I will die with him and burne in the flames of his loue one and the same fire shall consume the Diuine Creatour and the miserable creature My IESVS is wholy myne and I am wholy his I will liue and die vpon his breast nor life nor death shall euer separate me from him Thus is the holy Extasie of true loue practised while we liue not according to humane reason and bent but aboue them following the inspiration and instinct of the heauenly Sauiour of our soules Of the supreame effect of affectiue loue which is the death of Louers and first of such as died in loue CHAPTER IX 1. LOue is strong as death death doth seperate the soule of him that dies from the bodie and from all earthly things Sacred loue doth seperate the Louers soule from the bodie and all earthly things nor is there any other difference sauing that death doth that in effect which loue ordinarily doe onely in affection I saie ordinarily THEO because holy loue is sometimes so violent that euen in effect it causeth a separation betwixt the bodie and the soule making the Louers die a most happie death much better then a thousand liues 2. As it is proper to the Reprobate to die in sinne so is it proper to the Elect to die in the Loue and Grace of God yet in a different manner The iust man neuer dies vnprouided for to haue perseuered in Christian Iustice euen to the end was a good prouision for death He dies indeede sometimes sodainely or a sodaine death For this cause the most wise Church in her Litanies doth teach vs not onely to demand to be deliuered frō sodaine death but sodaine ād vnprouided death It is no worse for being sodaine if it be not withall vnprouided If some weake and common soules had seene fire frō Heauen fall vpon the great S. SIMEON Stilits head and kill him what would they haue thought but thoughts of scandall yet are we to make no other conceit of the matter then that this great Saint hauing perfectly sacrificed himselfe to God in his heart already wholy consumed with loue the fire came from Heauen to perfect the Holocauste and entirely burne it for the Abbot Iulian being a dayes iorney off saw his soule ascend to Heauen and thervpon caused incense to be offered in thankesgiuing to God The Blessed man Good Cremonius on a certaine day set vpon his knees most deuotly to heare Masse rose not at the Ghospell according to custome whēce those that were about him looked vpon him and perceiued he was dead There haue bene in our time most famous men for vertue and learning found dead some in the confession seat others while they heard the Sermon yea some haue bene seene falling downe dead at their going out of the Pulpet where they had preached with great feruour and all these deaths were sodaine yet not vnprouided And how many Good people doe we see die of Apoplexies Lethargies and a thousand other wayes very sodainely others of madnesse and frensie without the vse of reason and all these together with children who are baptised died in Grace and consequently in the Loue of God But how could they die in the Loue of God since they thought not of God at the time of their departure 3. Learned men THEO loose not their knowledge while they are a sleepe for so they would be vnlearned at their awaking and be forced to returne to schoole The like it is of all the habits of Prudence Temperance Faith Hope and Charitie They are continually in the iust mans heart though they be not alwayes in action While a man sleeps it seemes that all his habits sleepe with him and when he awakes awake with him So a iust man dying sodainely or oppressed by a house falling vpon him kill'd by Thunder or stifled with a catarre or else dying out of his senses by the violence of a hote Ague dies not indeede in the exercise of holy Loue yet dies he in the habit thereof wher-vpon the wise-man saieth if the iust-man be preuented by death he shall be in a place of refreshing for it sufficeth to obtaine eternall life to die in the state and habit of loue and Charitie 4. Yet many Saints haue departed this life not onely in Charitie and with the habite of heauenly loue but euen in the act and practise thereof S. AVGVSTINE deceased in the exercise of holy contrition which cannot be without Loue. S. HIEROM in exhorting his deare children to the loue of God their neighbours and vertue S. AMBROSE in a Rapture sweetely discoursing with his Sauiour immediatly after he had receiued the holy Sacrament of the Altar S. ANTONIE of Padua after he had recited a hymne of the glorious virgin-mother and while he spoke with great ioye to our Sauiour S. THOMAS of Aquine ioyning his
hands eleuating his eyes towards Heauen raising his voice very high and pronouncing by way of iaculation with great deuotion these words of the CaÌ„ticles the last which he had expounded Come vnto me my dearly beloued and let vs goe toge-into the fields All the Apostles and in a manner all the Martyrs died in Praier The Blessed and Venerable Bede hauing foreknowne by reuelation the time of his departure went to Euensong and it was vpoÌ„ the Ascension day and standing vpoÌ„ his feete leaning onely vpon the rests of his seate without any disease at all ended his life with the end of the Euensong as it were directly to follow his Maister ascending vnto Heauen there to enioye the bright morning of eternitie which knowes no euening Iohn Gerson Chancellour of the vniuersitie of Paris a man so learned and pious that as Sixtus Senâ—nsis saieth one can hardly discerne whether his learning outstripped his pietiâ— or his pietie his learning hauing explicated the fift proprietie of diuine loue recorded in the Canticle of Canticles three dayes after making shew of a very liuely countenance and courage expired pronouncing and iterating by way of iaculatorie Praier these holy words drawen out of the same Canticles ô God thy loue is strong as death S. MARTINâ— as is knowen died so attentiue to the exercise of his deuotions that he could not speake another word S. Lewis that great king amongst Saints and great Saint amongst kings being infected with the plague praied still and then hauing receiued his heauenly VIATICVM casting abrode his armes in maÌ„ner of a Crosse his eyes fixed vpon Heauen yeelded vp the ghost ardently sighing out these words with a perfect confidence of loue ah Lord I will enter into thy house I will adore thee in thy holy Temple and blesse thy â—ame S. PETER Celestine wholy possessed with afflictions which one can scarcely speake off being come to the periode of his daies began to sing as a sacred Nitingale the last Psalme making these louing words the close of his life and song LET â—VERY SPIRIT PRAISE OVR LORD The Admirable S. EVSEBIVS surnamed the stranger deceased vpon his knees in feruent Praier S. PETER Martyr writing with his owne finger and blood the Confession of Faith for which he died and vttering these words Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit And the great Iaponian Apostle S. FRANCIS Zauerius holding and kissing the image of the Crucifix and repeating at euery turne of a hand this Eiaculation of heart O IESVS the God of my heart Of some that died by and for diuine Loue. CHAPTER X. 1. All the Martyrs THEO died for the Loue of God for when we saie many died for the faith we meane not that they died for a dead faith but for a liuely faith that is quickned by Charitie And the confession of Faith is not so much an act of the vnderstanding and of Faith as of the will and of the Loue of God And thus the great S. PET R conseruing Faith in his heart the day of his Maisters did yet quit Charitie refusing in words to professe him to be his Maister whom in heart he acknowledged to be such But there were yet other Martyrs who died expressely for Charitie alone as our Sauiours great Forerunner who was martyred for brotherly correction and the glorious Princes of the Apostles S. PETER and S. PAVLE but especially S. PAVLE was put to death for hauing reclamed those women to a pious and pure life whom that infamous Nero had wrought to lewdnesse The holy Bishops Stanislaus and S. THOMAS of Canterburie were slaine for a matter that touched not Faith but Charitie In fine a great part of sacred Virgin-Martyrs were put to slaughter for the Zeale they had to conserue their Chastitie which Charitie had caused them to dedicate to their heauenly Spouse 2. But there are some of the Sacred Louers that doe so absolutly giue themselues ouer to the exercises of Diuine Loue that holy fire doth wast and consume their life Griefe doth sometimes so long hinder such as are afflicted froÌ„ eating drinking or sleeping that in the eÌ„d weakened and wasted they dye whervpon it is a common saying that such died of Griefe but it is not so indeede for they died through euacuation and defect of strength True it is sith this faintnesse tooke them by reason of griefe we must auerre that though they died not of griefe yet they died by reason of griefe and by griefe so my deare THEO when the feruour of holy loue is great it giues so many assaults to the heart so often wouÌ„ds it causeth in it so many langours so ordinarily melts it and puts it so frequently into Extasies ad Raptures that by this meanes the soule being almost entitely occupied in God not being able to affoâ—d sufficient assistance to nature coÌ„ueniently to disgâ—st and nourish the sensible and vitall spirits begâ—n by little aÌ„d little to faile liâ—e is shortned and death approcheth 3. O God THEO how happie this death is How delightfull is this loue-dart which wounding vs with the incurable wound of heauenly loue makes vs for euer pining and sicke with so strong a beating of the heart that at length we must yeeld to death How much doe you thinke did these sacred langours and labours vndergone for Charitie shorten the dayes of the Diuine Louers S. Catherin of Sienna S. Francis Little Stanislaus Bosca S. Charles and many hundreds more who died in their youth Verily as for S. FRANCIS from the time he receiued his Maisters holy Stigmats he had so violent and stinging paines gripes conuulsions and deseases that he had nothing left on him but skinne and bones and he seemed rather to be an Anatomie or a picture of death then one liuing and breathing How some of the heauenly Louers died euen of Loue. CHAPTER XI 1. All the Elect then THEO deceased in the habit of holy loue but further some died euen in the exercise of it some againe for it others by it But that which belongs to the soueraigne degree of loue is that some die of loue aÌ„d theÌ„ it is that loue doth not onely wouÌ„d the soule aÌ„d thereby make her languish but doth euen pearce her through hitting directly on the midst of the heart and so deeply that it forceth the soules depaâ—ture out of the bodie which fals out in this manner The soule powerfully drawen by the diuine sweetenesse of her Beloued to complie of her part with his deare allurements forcibly springs out and to her power tends towards her desired attracting friend and not being able to draw her bodie after her rather then to staie with it in this miserable life she quits it and gets cleare lonely flying as a faire doue into the delicious bosome of her heaueÌ„ly Spouse She throwes her selfe vpon her Beloued and her Beloued doth draw and force her to himselfe And as the Bridgroome leaues Father and mother to adheare to his deare Bride So this chaste Bride
to Egipt ād from Egipt to Iudea Ah who can then doubt but this holy Father being come to the period of his dayes was reciprocally borne by his diuine Nurse-child in his passage from this to another life into Abrahams bosome to translate him from thence to Glorie in the daie of his Ascension A Saint that had loued so much in his life could not die but of loue for his heart not being able to loue his deare IESVS so much as he desired while he continued amongst th◠distractions of this life and hauing alreadie performed the dutie which he ought to his non-age what remained but that he should saie to the Eternall Father O Father I haue accomplished my charge and then to the Sonne ◠my child as thy heauenly Father put thy tender bodie into my hands the daie of thy cōming into this world so doe I render vp my soule 〈◊〉 thyne this daie of my departure out of this world 2. Such as I conceiue was the death of this great Patriarch a man elected to performe the most deare and louing offices that euer was or shall be performed to the Sōne of God saue those that were done by the Sacred Spouse the true naturall mother of the saied sonne of whom it is not possible to make a conceit that she died of any other kind of death then of loue A death the most noble of all and consequently due to the most noble life that euer was amongst creaturs A death whereof the very Angels would desire to die if die they could If the primatiue Christians were saied to haue but one heart and one soule by reason of their perfect mutuall loue If S. Paule liued not himselfe but IESVS CHRIST liued in him by reason of the close vnion of his heart to his Maisters wherby his soule was as dead in the heart which it quickened to liue in the heart of the Sauiour which it loued O Good God how much more true it is that the Sacred Virgin and her Sonne had but one soule one heart and one life so that this heauēly mother in liuing liued not but her sonne liued in her She was a mother the most louing and the most beloued that euer could be yea louing and beloued with a loue incomparably more eminent then that of all the Orders of Angels and men like as the names of an onely Mother and an onely Sonne are names passing all other names in matter of loue and I saie of an onely mother and an onely Sonne because all the other sonne◠of men doe diuide the acknowledgment of their production betwixt their Father and mother but in this sonne as all his humane birth depēds of his mother alone who alone contributed that which was requisite to the vertue of the holy Ghost for the cōception of this heauenly child so to her alone all the loue which sprung from that production was rendred as due In such sort that this Sonne and this mother were vnited in an vnion by so much more excellent as her name in loue is different and aboue all other names for which of the Seraphins can saie to our Sauiour thou art my true Sonne and as such I loue thee And to which of his creaturs did our Sauiour euer saie Thou art my true mother and as my true mother I loue thee Thou art my true mother entirely myne and I am thy true sonne wholy thyne And if a louing seruant durst and did indeede saie that he had no other life then his Maisters Alas how confidently and feruently might this mother proclame I haue no life but the life of my Sonne my life is wholy in his and his wholy in myne for there was not a meere vnion but an vnitie of hearts betwixt this mother and this sonne 3. And if this mother liued by her Sonns life she also died of her Sonns death for such as is the life such is the death The Phenix as the report goes growen very aged gathers together in the top of a mountaine a quantitie of aromaticall woods vpon which as vpon he bed of honour she goes to end her dayes for when the Sunne being at his highest doth streame out his hotest beames this most singular bird to contribute the aduantage of action to the Sunns ardour ceaseth not to beate with her wings vpon her bed till she haue made it take fire and burning with it she consumes and dies in those odoriferous flames In like manner THEO the virgin Marie hauing assembled in her heart all the most amiable Mysteries of the life and death of her sonne by a most liuely and continuall memorie of them and withall RECTA LINEA receiuing the most ardent inspirations which her Sonne the Sonne of Iustice darted vpon mortalls euen in the heate of his charitie And further of her part making a perpetuall motion of Contemplation in the end the sacred fire of this heauenly loue did wholy consume her as an Holocaust of sweetenesse so that she died of it her soule being altogether rauished and transported into the armes of her Sonns loue O death louingly vitall ô Loue vitally mortall 4. Many sacred Louers were present at our Sauiours death amongst whom such as did most loue did also most greeue for Loue was then sleeped in griefe and griefe in Loue and all such as were feruent in loue towards their Sauiour fell in loue with his passion and paine But the sweete mother who passed all in loue receiued a deeper wound from the sword of griefe then all the rest Her Sonns paine was then a sharp sword which rāne through his mothers heart it being glewed ioyned ād vnited to her sonns in so perfect an vnion that nothing could hurt the one which did not as deeply hurt the other Now this motherly heart being in this sort wounded with loue did not onely not seeke to haue her wound cured but euen loued her wound better then all cures dearely conseruing the darts of sorrow which she had receiued in her heart because it was loue that shot them at her and continually desiring to die of thē as her sonne died thereof who as the holy Scripturs and all the Doctours doe witenesse died amidst the flames of Charitie a perfect HOLOCAVST for all the sinnes of the world That the Glorious virgin died of an extreamely sweete and calme loue CHAPTER XIV 1. OF one side it is saied that our B. Ladie reuealed to S. Mathilda that the sickenesse whereof she died was no other thing then an impetuous assault of loue Yet S. Brigit and S. Iohn Damascen doe witnesse that she died an exceeding peaceable death and both are true THEOTIME 2. The starres are wonderfull delightfull to behold and cast out pleasing shines yet if you haue noted it they bring forth their rayes by way of gatterings sparklings and dartings as though they were deliuered of their light by trauell at diuers essayes whether it be that their weake light cannot keepe a continuall equalitie of action or
accords best with the will of God But in little and dayly exercises wherein the fault is nether of moment or irreparable what neede is there to chant a QVANTA PATIMVR by engaging ones attention in importune consultations To what end should I put my selfe vpon the racke to learne whether God would rather that I should saie the Rosarie or our Ladies Office since there can be no such difference betwixt them that a GRAND-IVRIE should be impannelled vpon it That I should rather goe to visite the sicke in the hospitall then to VESPERAS That I should rather goe to a Sermon then to a Church where there are Indulgences commonly there is no such remarkable thing in the one more then the other that the matter requires any great deliberation we must walke simply not subtily in those occurrēces and as S. BASILE freely doe that which licks vs best without wearying out our wits loosing our time and running hazard of disquiet scruples and superstitiō Now my meaning is alwayes where there is no great disproportion betwixt the two workes and where there occurrs no circumstance more considerable in the one then th' other 5. And euen in matters of moment we are to vse a great humilitie and not to thinke we can fish out Gods will by force of examination and subtilitie of discourse But hauing implored the light of the holy-Ghost applied our cōsideration to the search of his good pleasure taken our Directours counsell and of two or three spirituall persōs more if they chāced to be there we must absolutly resolue and determine in the name of God neuer after to call our choice in question but deuotely peaceably and constantly to vndergoe and improue it And albeit that the difficulties temptations and the diuersitie of euents which crosse the execution of our designe might make vs doubt whether we had made a good choice yet must we remaine constant not waighing all this Yea we are to consider that if we had made an other choice we had peraduenture bene an hundred times worse besides that we wot not whether it be God's will that we should be exercised in consolation or desolation in peace or in warre The resolution being once holily vndertaken we are neuer to doubt of the holinesse of the execution for vnlesse it be our fault there can be none to doe otherwise is a notable marke of selfe-Loue of childishnesse or bransicknesse The end of the eight booke THE NINGTH BOOKE OF LOVE OF SVBMISSION WHEREBY OVR WILL IS VNITED to Gods Of the vnion of our will to the will of God which is the WILL OF GOOD PLEASVRE CHAPTER I. I. NOthing excepting sinne is done but by the will of God called an absolute will and of GOOD PLEASVRE which cannot be hindred by man and which is not knowen vnto vs but by the effects yet being arriued they make manifest that God willed and determined them 2. Let vs conside◠in grosse THEO all that hath bene is and shall be and rauished with amazement we shall be forced to crie out with the Psalmist O Lord I will praise thee because thou are abundantly magnified thy works are wonderfull and my soule doth acknowledge thē very much thy knowledge is become admirable of me it is made great nor can I reach to it And from thence we passe on to a most holy Complacence reioycing that God is so infinit in WISDOME POWER and GOODNESSE which are the three Diuine Proprieties whereof the world is but a small taste or scantling 3. Let vs behold men and Angels and all the varietie of nature qualities conditions faculties affections passions graces and priuiledges which the diuine Prouidence hath established in the innumerable number of those heauenly INTELLIGENCES and humane creaturs vpon which Gods IVSTICE and MERCY is so admirably practised and we cannot containe our selues from singing with ioye full of respect and louing dread True Iustice and true Iudgment are The obiect of my dittie VVhich vnto thee I offer dare Most iust and full of pitie THEO we are to take an exceeding complacence to see how God exerciseth his MERCY by the sundrie benefits which he doth distribute amongst men and Angels in heauen and earth And how he practiseth his IVSTICE by an infinit varietie of paines and chastisements for his IVSTICE and MERCY are equally amiable and admirable in them selues since both of them are no other thing then the same most singular Goodnesse and Deitie But the effects of his Iustice being alwayes sharpe and and full of bitternesse to vs he sweetens them with the mixture of the effects of his MERCY conseruing the greene Oliue amidst the waters of the Deluge of his iust indignation and giuing power to the deuote soule as to a chast doue to find it in the end prouided alwayes that like to the doue she doth louingly meditate So death afflictions anguishes labours whereof our life is full which by Gods iust ordinances are the punishments of sinne are also by his milde MERCY made ladders to ascend to Heauen meanes to encrease grace and merits to obtaine Glorie Blessed is pouertie hunger thirst sorrow sicknesse persecution death for in truth they are the iust punishments of our faults yet punishments so seasoned or to vse the Phisitions terme so aromatized with Diuine sweetenesse benignitie and clemencie that their bitternesse is best beloued A strang yet a true thing THEO if the damned were not blinded with the obstinacie and hatred which they conceiue against God they would find consolation in their torments and see the Diuine MERCY admirably dispersed amongst their eternally-tormenting flames So that the Saints considering on the one side the torments of the damned so horrible and dreadfull they praise Gods IVSTICE in it and crie out thou art iust ô Lord thou art iust and iustice for euer raignes in thy iudgments But seeing on the other side that these paines though eternall and incomprehensible come yet farre short of the crime and trespasse for which they were inflicted rauished with Gods infinite MERCY ó Lord will they saie how good thou art since in the very heate of thy wroth thou canst not keepe in the torrent of thy MERCYES that it streame not its waters into the deuouring flames of Hell Goodnesse o Lord hath not thy soule forsooke Euen while thy iustest iustice vengeance tooke Midst hellish flames nor could sterne ire represse The torrent of thy wounted graciousnesse Thou still pour'st out and still dost enterlace Thy wrothfull strokes with strikes of grace And then turning our eyes vpon our selues in parcular and finding in vs diuers interiour and exteriour goods as also a greatest number of interiour and exteriour paines which the Diuine Prouidēce hath prepared for vs according to his most holy IVSTICE and MERCY and as opening the armes of our consent we doe most louingly embrace all resting in Gods most holy will and singing vnto him by way of a Hymne of an eternall repose Thy will be done in earth as it is in
the Loue that strikes straight through afflictions towards the will of God walkes in assurance For affliction being in no wise amiable in it selfe it is an easie thing to Loue it onely for his sake that send 's it The hounds in spring time are euery foote at default finding hardly any sent at all because the hearbes and flowres doe then smell so freshly that the freshnesse put downe the rowt or sent of the Hart or hare In the spring time of consolations Loue is scarcely acquainted with Gods pleasure because the sensible pleasure of the consolation doth so allure the heart that it troubles the attention which it ought to haue to the will of God S. CATHARINE hauing from our Sauiour her choice of a Crowne of gold or a crowne of thornes choosed this as better suteting with Loue. A desire of sufferance saieth the B. ANGELA FOLIGNY is an infallible marke of Loue and the great Apostle cries out that he glories onely in the Crosse in infirmitie in persecution Of the vnion of our will to the Diuine will in spirituall afflictions by resignation CHAPTER III. 1. THe Loue of the Crosse makes vs vndertake voluntarie afflictions as for example fasting watching haire-shirts and other tamings of the bodie renouÌ„ce pleasures honours aÌ„d riches aÌ„d loue in these exercises is very delightfull to the beloued yet more when we receiue with patience sweetenesse and mildnesse the paines torments and tribulations by reason of the Diuine will which sends vs them But Loue then is at its hight when we receiue afflictions not with patience and sweetnesse onely but we doe euen cheerish loue and embrace theÌ„ in regard of the Diuine will whence they proceede 2. Now of all the essayes of perfect Loue that which is practised by the repose of the mind in spirituall tribulations is doubtlesse the most pure and highest The B. ANGELA OF FOLIGNY makes an admirable description of the interiour panges which sometimes she felt saying that her soule was tortured like to one who being tyed hand and foote should be hung by the necke without being strangled but should hang in this estate betwixt death and life without hope of helpe and neither being able to keepe herselfe vpon her feete nor assist herselfe with her hands nor crie out nor yet sigh or moane So it faires THEO the soule is sometimes so ouercharged with interiour afflictions that all her faculties and powers are oppressed by priuation of all that might releiue her and by apprehension and impression of all that might attristate her So that at the imitation of her Sauiour she begins to be troubled to feare to be disamayed and at length to waxe sad with a sorrow like vnto that of one dying Whence she may rightly saie My soule is heauie euen to death and with her whole hearts consent she desirs petitions supplicats that if it be possible this Calice may passe hauing nothing left her saue the very supreame point of her Spirit which cleeuing hard to the Diuine heart and will saieth in a most sincere submission O eternall Father ah not myne but thy will be done And which is diligently to be noted the soule makes this resignation amidst such a world of troubles contradictions repugnances that she doth euen hardly perceiue that she makes it at least it seemes to her to be done so coldly that it is not done from her heart nor as it were fitting since that which passeth there in fauour of the Diuine will is not onely done without delight and contentment but euen against the pleasure and liking of all the rest of the heart whom loue permits to bemoane her selfe at least to moane that she cannot bemoane herselfe and to sigh out all the LAMENTATIONS of IOB and Hieremie yet with charge that a sacred peace be still conserued in the very bottome of the heart in the highest and most delicate point of the Spirit and this submissiue peace is not tender or sweete nor yet in a manner sensible though otherwise sincere stroÌ„g inuincible aÌ„d full of Loue aÌ„d it seemes to haue betakeÌ„ it selfe to the very eÌ„d of the Spirit as into the dungeoÌ„ of the Fort where it remaines corragious though all the rest be taken and pressed with sorrow And by how much the more Loue in this case is depriued of all helpes forsaken of all the aide of the vertues and faculties of the soule by so much it is more to be prised for conseruing constantly its fidelitie 3. This vnion or conformitie to the diuine pleasure is made either by a holy resignation or a most holy indifferencie Now Resignation is practised with a certaine force and submission one would willingly liue in lieu of dying yet since it is Gods pleasure that die we must we yeeld to it We would willingly liue if it pleased God yea further we would willingly that it were his pleasure to prolong life we die willingly yet more willingly would we liue we departe with a reasonable good will yet would we stay with a better IOB in his afflictions made an act of resignation since we haue receiued the good saied he from the hand of God why shall we not sustaine the the toyles and vexations which he doth send vs marke THEO how he speakes of sustaining supporting enduring as it hath pleased our Lord so was it done our Lords name be praised These are the words of resignation and acceptance by way of sufferance and patience Of the vnion of our will to Gods will by Indâ—fferencie CHAPTER IV. 1. REsignation preferrs Gods will before all things yet doth it Loue many other things besides the will of God but Indifferencie passeth Resignation for it Loues nothing but meerely for the Loue of Gods will in so much that nothing at all can stirre the indifferent heart in the presence of the will of God True it is the most indifferent heart in the world may be touched with some affection while yet it discouers not where the will of God is Eliezer being come to the fountaine of HaraÌ„ had a full view of the virgin Rebecca aÌ„d without doubt saw her too too faire and pleasing howbeit he staied himselfe in an indifferencie till he knew by a signe from God that the Diuine will had ordained her a wife for his Maisters sonne for then he presented her with the eare-iewels and bracelets of gold Contrariwise if IACOB had onely loued in Rachel the alliance with Laban to which his Father Isaac had obliged him Lya had bene as deare vnto him as Rachel they being doth Labans daughters and consequently his Fathers will had bene as well fulfilled in the one as in the other But because beyoÌ„d his Fathers will he coueted to satisfie his owne liking taken with the beautie and louelinesse of Rachel he was troubled to Espouse LYA yet by resignation tooke her against his owne liking 2. But the indifferent heart stands not thus affected for knowing that tribulation though she be hard-fauered as another LYA leaues
this good soule she hath much desired and endeauored to infranchish her selfe of choler wherein God hath assisted her for he hath quite deliuered her from all the sinns which proceede froÌ„ choler she would die rather then vtter one onely iniurious word or to let slipe any showe of hatred And yet she is subiect to the assaults and first motions of this passion which are certaine iertings stirrings and sallies of an angrie mind termed in the Caldaicall Paraphrase SHRVGGINGS saying shrugge but sinne not whereas our sacred version saieth Be angrie but sinne not which in effect is the same thing for the Prophet would onely saie that if anger surprise vs stirring vp in our hearts the first shruggings of sinne we should be carefull not to let our selues be carried further into the passion for so we should offend and though these first stirrings and shruggings be no sinne yet the poore soule that is oft set hard at by them doth trouble afflict aÌ„d disquisquiet herselfe reputing her sorrow a sacrifice to God as though it were the Loue of God that prouoked her to this sorrow And yet THEO it is not heauenly Loue that causeth this trouble it neuer being offended but at sinne it is selfe-Loue that desires to be freed from the paines and toyles which the assaults of anger drawes vpoÌ„ vs. Nor is it the offence that offends vs in these stirrings of anger there being none at all committed it is the paine we are put to in resisting that disquiets vs. 4. These rebellions of the sensuall appetite as well irascible as concupiscible are left in vs for our exercise to th' end we might practise spirituall valour in resisting them They are they Philistians against whom the true Israelits are still to fight but shall neuer put them to flight they may weaken them but neuer quite ouerthrow them They liue with vs and neuer die but with vs. They are truly execrable and detestable as being bred by sinne and fed of sinne whence as we are termed earth because we take our descent from earth and to earth runne back againe so this rebellion is named sinne by the great Apostle as being issue of sinne and drawing still that wayward though it neuer makes vs guiltie vnlesse we second and obey it wherevpon the same Apostle doth exhort vs that we permit it not to raigne in our mortall bodie to be subiect vnto it He prohibits vs not to feele but onely not to consent to it He doth not ordaine that we should hinder sinne to enter into vs but he commands that it should not raigne in vs It is in vs when we feele the rebellion of the sensuall appetite but it doth not raigne in vs vnlesse we giue consent vnto it The Phisitian will neuer giue order that the sicke of an ague should not be drie for that were too great a follie marrie he will tell him that though he be drie he must abstaine from drinking No man will be so mad as to bid a woman with child longe for no extrauagant things for it is not in her power well may one desire her to discouer her longings to th' end that if she longes for hurtfull things one might diuert her imagination least the phantasie might get dominion ouer her heart 5. The sting of the flesh forerunner of Satan did rudely treate the good S. PAVLE to haue inâ—â—ted him into the precipice of sinne The poore Apostle endured this as a shamefull and infamous wrong and therevpon termed it a boxing or buffetting and petitioned to God to be deliuered of it but he heard from God Paule my grace is sufficient for thee for vertue is perfected in infirmitie whereat this holy man submitting himselfe willingly then quoth he will I glorie in myne infirmities that the vertue of Christ may dwell in me But take notice I beseech you that there is sensuall rebellion euen in this admirable vessell of Election who in ruÌ„ning to the remedie of Praier doth teach vs that we are to vse the same armes against the temptatioÌ„s we feele Note further that God doth not alwayes permit those cruell reuoults in man for the punishment of sinne but to manifest the force and vertue of the Diuine assistance and grace Finally marke how we are not onely not to be disquieted in our temptations and infirmities but are euen to glorie to be infirme that therby Gods vertue may appeare in vs sustaining our weeknesse against the force of the suggestion and temptation for the glorious Apostle cals the stingings and shooting of the impurities which he endured his infirmities and yet he saieth he glories in them for be 't that he felt them by his miserie yet through Gods mercy he consented not to them 6. Certes as I haue alreadie saied the church condemned the errour of certaine Solitarists who held that we might be perfectly deliuered euen in this world of the passion of Anger Concupiscence Feare and the like It is Gods will we should haue enemies and it is also his will that we â—hould repulse them Let vs theÌ„ behaue our selues couragiously betwixt the one and th' other will of God enduring with patience to be assaulted and endeauoring with courage by resistance to make head against the assaults How we are to vnite our will with Gods in the permission of sinne CHAPTER VIII 1. GOd doth soueraignely hate sinne and yet he doth most wisely permit it to leaue reasonable creaturs free in their actions according to the condition of their nature and to make the good more commendable while hauing power to transgresse the law they doe not for all that transgresse it Let vs therefore adore and blesse this holy permission But since the Prouidence which doth permit the sinne doth infinitly hate it let vs also detest and hate it desiring with all our heart that sinne permitted may not be committed And in sequele of this desire let vs make vse of all the meanes possible to hinder the birth groth and raigne of sinne imitating our Sauiour therein who neuer ceaseath to exhort to promise to menace to prohibite to command and inspire vs to turne our will from sinne so farreforth as is possible without depriuing vs of libertie But when the sinne is once committed let vs endeauore what we are able to haue it blotted out as our Sauiour who assured Carpus aboue mentioned that if it were requisit he was readie to suffer death againe to deliuer one onely soule from sinne But if the Sinner waxe obstinate let vs weepe THEO moane praie for him together with our Sauiour who hauing all his life time shed an aboundance of teares vpon sinners and such as did represent theÌ„ died in the end his eyes full of teares his bodie goarie with blood lamenting the losse of sinners This affection touched Dauid so to the quicke that he fell into a traunce vpon it I haue sownded saieth he for sinners abandoning thy law And the great Apostle protest's that a continuall sorrow possesseth his
a more solide and attentiue loue towards her father then though she had sheâ—en her selfe much sollicitous in begging his helpe to her cure in looking how they opened her veine or how the blood span out and in vsing a great deale of ceremonie in rendring him thankes certainely none can make any doubt of it For in taking vpon her the care of her selfe what had she gotten but an vnprofitable anxitie especially her father hauing care enough of her what had looking vpon her arme profited her but haue bene an occasion of horrour And what vertue had she practised in thanking her father saue that of gratitude Did she not better then to occupie her selfe wholy in the Demonstrations of her filiall affection which is infinitly more delightfull to her father then all other vertues 4. Myne eyes are alwayes to our Lord because he will deliuer our feete from the snare Art thou fallen into the snares of aduersitie ah looke not vpon this mishape nor vpon the Gyues wherein thou art caught looke vpon God and leaue all to him he will haue care of thee throwe thy thoughtes vpon him and he will nourrish thee Why dost thou trouble thy selfe with willing or nilling the euents and accidents of this world since thou art ignorant what were best for thee to will and that God will will for thee without thy trouble all that thou art to will for thy selfe Expect therefore in peace of mind the effect of the Diuine pleasure and let his willing suffice thee since he can neuer cease to be good For so he gaue order to his well beloued S. Catharine of Sienna Thinke of me quoth he to her and I will thinke for thee It is a hard thing to expresse to the full this extreame indifferencie of mans heart which is so reduced to and dead in the will of God for it is not to be saied me thinkes that she doth submit herselfe to Gods submission being an act of the soule declaring her consent nor is it to be saied that she doth accept or receiue it for as much as accepting or receiuing are certaine actions which in some sort may be termed passiue actions by which we embrace and take what soections befalls vs nor yet are we to saie that she permits permission being an action of the will and consequently a certaine idle emptie wish that will indeede doe nothing but onely let it be done And therefore me thinke the soule in this indifferecie that willeth nothing but leaues God to will what he pleaseth is to be saied to haue her will in a simple expectation since that to expect is not to doe or act but onely to remaine exposed to some euer And if you marke it the expectation of the soule is altogether voluntarie and yet an action it is not but a meere disposition to receiue whatsoeuer shall happen and as soone as the euents are once arriued and receiued the expectation becomes a coÌ„tentment or repose Marry till they happen in truth the soule is A PVRE EXPECTATION indiffereÌ„t to all that it shall please the Diuine will to ordaine 5. In this sort did our Sauiour expresse the extreame submission of his humane will to the will of his eternall Father The Almightie saieth he hath opened myne eare that is he hath declared vnto me his pleasure touching the multitude of torments which I am to endure and I saieth he afterwards doe not gainesaie or withdraw my selfe what would this saie I doe not gainesaie or withdraw my selfe but this my will is in a simple expectation and is readie for all that God shall send In sequele whereof I deliuer vp and abandone my bodie to the mercy of such as will beate it and my cheekes to such as will make them smart being prepared to let them exercise their pleasure vpon me But marke I praie you THEO that euen as our Sauiour after he had made his Praier of Resignation in the Garden of Oliuet and after he was taken left himselfe to be handled and haled by those that crucified him by an admirable surrender made of his bodie and life into their hands So did he resigne vp his soule and will by a most perfect indiffereÌ„cie into his eternall Fathers haÌ„ds For though he cried out My God My God why hast thou forsaken me Yet was that to let vs vnderstand the reall anguish and distresse of his soule but in no wise to impeach the most holy indifferencie of which it as possessed as shortly after he shewed concluding all his life and passion in these incomparable words Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit Of the perfect stripping of the soule vnited to Gods will CHAPTER XVI 1. LEt vs represent vnto our selues THEO the sweete Iesus in Pilats house where for the Loue of vs he was turned out of his clothes by the soldiers the Ministers of death and not content with that they take the skin with them tearing it with the blowes of rods and whipps as afterwards his soule was bereft of his bodie and his bodie of life by the death which he endured vpon the Crosse But three dayes being once ruÌ„ne ouer the soule by the most holy Resurrection did reinuest her glorious bodie and his bodie its mortall skin wearing sundrie garments now resembling a Gardener now a Pilgrime or in some other guise according as the saluation of man and the glorie of God required LOVE did all this THEO and it is LOVE also that entring into a soule to make it happily die to it selfe and liue to God which doth bereaue it of all humane desires and self-esteeme which is as closely fixed to the Spirit as the skin to the flesh and strips her at leÌ„gth of her best beloued affections as were those which she had to spirituall affections exercises of pietie and the perfection of vertues which seemed to be the very life of the soule 2. Then THEO the soule may by good right crie I haue put of my garment and how can I find in my heart to resume them againe I haue washed my feete from all sorts of affections and can I euer be so mad as to soile theÌ„ againe I came naked out of the hande of God and naked will I returne thither God gaue me many desires and God hath taken them away his holy name be blessed Yea THEO the same God that made vs desire vertues in our beginning aÌ„d which makes vs practise theÌ„ in all occurrences he it is that takes from vs the affection to vertues and all spirituall exercises that with more tranquillitie puritie and simplicitie we should affect nothing but the Diuine Maiesties good pleasure For as the faire Iudith reserued indeede her costly festiuall robes in her Cabinet and yet placed not her affection vpon them nor yet euer wore them in the time of her widowhood saue onely when by God's inspiration she went to ouerthrow Holofernes so though we haue learnt the practise of vertue and the exercise of deuotion yet are we
him to be vnited vnto him and enioyâ— his Loue But all in vaine she shall be as a womaÌ„ who in the panges of child-birth after she haue endured violent paines cruell conuulsions and intollerable panges dies in the end without being deliuered For as soone as the cleare and faire knowledge of the heauenly Beautie shall haue penetrated the vnderstandings of those infortunate wretches the Diuine Iustice shall in such sort depriue the will of her force that she can in no wise loue this obiect which the vnderstanding shall propose vnto her and make cleare to be so amiable and this sight which should beget in the will so great a Loue in lieu thereof shall engender an infinite desolation which shall be made eternall by a memorie of the Soueraigne Beautie they saw which shall for euer liue in these lost soules a memorie voyd of all good yea full of vexations paines torments and endlesse desperations For so much as in the soule shall be found both an imposiblitie yea and a dreadfull and euerlasting auersion and repugnance to loue this so wishfull an Excellencie So that the miserable damned shall liue for euer in a desperate rage to know so soueraignely amiable a perfection without all hope of euer being able to enioye or loue it because while they might haue loued it they would not they shall burne with a thrist so much more violeÌ„t by how much the remeÌ„braÌ„ce of this source of waters of eternall life shall more egge their ardour they shall die immortally as dogges of a famine by so much more vehement by how much their memorie shall more sharpen the insatiable crueltie thereof by calling to mind the heauenly banquet of which they were depriued The damned soules in foming rage Shall wither vp and drie away And nothing shall their griefe asswage VVhat ere their daring hearts essaye I dare not affirme for certaine that the view of Gods Beautie which the damned shall haue in the maÌ„ner of a flash of lightning shall be as bright as that of the Blessed yet shall it be so cleare that they shall see the sonne of maÌ„ in his Maiestie they shall see him whom they pierced and by the view of this glorie shall learne the greatnesse of their losse Ah if God had prohibited man to Loue what a torment would that haue bene to generous hearts what paines would they not vndertake to obtaine permission to Loue him DAVID entred into a very dangerous Combat to gaine the kings daughter and what did not IACOB doe to espouse RACHEL and the Prince SICHEM to haue DINA in marriage The damned would repute them selues Blessed if they could entertaine a hope euer to Loue God And the Blessed would esteeme themselues Damned if they harboured a thought that they should euer be depriued of this sacred Loue. 4. O Good God THEO how gustfull is the sweetenesse of this Commandement seeing that if it pleased the Diuine will to giue it to the damned they would in a moment be deliuered of their greatest misfortune and since the Blessed are not Blessed but by the practise of it ô heauenly Loue how louelie thou art in the fight of our soules And blessed be the Bountie of God for euer who so earnestly commands vs to Loue him though his Loue be otherwise most to be desired and necessarie to our Happinesse and that without it we must necessarily be vnhappie That this Diuine Commandement of Loue tends to Heauen yet is giuen to the faithfuâ—l in this world CHAPTER II. 1. If the law be not iÌ„posed on the iust maÌ„ because he preuenting the lawes and without the laâ—es sollicitation doth performe Gods will by the instinct of Charitie which raignes in his soule how free are we to esteeme the Blessed in Heauen from all commandements since that from the possession of the Bountie and Beautie of the Beloued in which they are a sweete yet ineuitable necessitie to Loue for euer the most holy Diuinitie doth streame out and runne vpon their hearts We shall Loue God aboue THEO not as being tyed and obliged by the law but as being allured and rauished with delight which this so perfectly an amiable obiect shall yeeld vnto our hearts Then the force of the Commandement will cease to the end it may giue place to the force of contentmentâ— which shall be the fruite and crowne of the obseruance of the Commandement We are therefore ordained to the contentment which is promissed vs in the immortall life by meanes of the Commandement giuen vnto vs in this our mortall life in which truely we are strictly bound to obserue it because it is the fundamentall law which the KING IESVS deliuered to the Citizens of this militant HIERVSALEM whereby they may merite the BVRGVERSHIP and ioye of the triumphant HIâ—RVSALEM 2. Certes aboue in heauen we shall haue a heart free from all passions a soule purified from all distractions a Spirit infranchised from contradictions and forces exempt from opposition and therefore we shall Loue God with a perpetuall and neuer interrupted affection as it is saied of the foure sacred beasts which representing the Euangelists doe incessantly praise the Diuinitie O God what a ioye when we being established in those eternall Tabernacles our Spirits shall be in this perpetuall motion in which they shall enioye the so much desired repose of their eternall dilection Happie who in thy Mansion liue And in all Seasons praises giue But we are not to aime at this Loue so exceedingly perfect in this life of death for as yet we haue neither the heart nor the soule nor the Spirit nor the forces of the Blessed It is sufficient for vs to Loue with all the heart and force which we haue While we are little children we are wise like little children we speake like children we Loue like children but when we shall come to our perfect groth aboue we shall be quit of our infancie and Loue God perfectly Yet are we not for all this THEO during the infancie of our mortall life to leaue to doe our best according as it is commanded since it is not onely in our power but is also most facile the whole Commandement being of Loue and of the Loue of God who as he is soueraignely good so is he soueraignely amiable How notwithstanding that the whole heart is imployed in sacred Loue yet one may Loue God diuersly and also many other things together with him CHAPTER III. 1. HE that saieth all excluds nothing and yet a man may be wholy Gods wholy his Fathers wholy his mothers wholy his Princes wholy his coÌ„mon-wealth's his children's his friend 's so that being wholy euery on 's yet he is wholy to all which happens for that the dutie by which a man is wholy on 's is not contrarie to the dutie by which a man is wholy an others 2. Man giues himselfe wholy by loue and with proportion to his loue he bestowes himselfe He is therefore in a soueraigne manner giuen to God when
reseruation at all and I saie with a greatest care because there are men who would couragiously forsake their goods honours yea life it selfe for our Sauiour who yet will not leaue for his sake things of farre lesse consequence 2. In the raigne of the Emperours VALERIANVS and GALLVS there liued in Antioche a Priest called SAPHRICIVS and a secular man named NICEPHORVS who by reason of their long and exceeding great familiaritie were esteemed brothers and yet it fell out in the end I know not vpon what occasion that this friendshipe failed and according to custome was followed with a deeper hatred which raigned for a time betwixt them till at length NICEPHORVS acknowledging his fault made three diuers essayes to be reconciled vnto SAPHRICIVS to whom now by one of their common friends now by another he signified in words all the satisfaction and submission that heart could haue wished But Saphricius in no wise answering to his inuitations did still repulse the reconcilement with as great inhumanitie as Nicephorus besought it with humilitie In so much that the poore Nicephorus apprehending that in case Saphricius should see hiÌ„ prostrate at his feete begging pardoÌ„ he would be more touched to the heart with it he goes and finds him out and couragiously casting himselfe groueling at his feete Reuerend Father quoth he ah pardon me I beseech thee for the bowels of our Sauiour IESVS but euen this humilitie was disdaigned and reiected together with his former endeuours 3. Meane while behold a hote persecution arose against the Christians in which Saphricius with others being apprehended did wounders in suffering a thousand thousand tormeÌ„ts for the CoÌ„fessioÌ„ of his Faith but especially wheÌ„ he was rudely turned and tossed in an instrument made of set purpose after the manner of a Presse without euer being quailed in his constancie whereat the Gouernour of Antioche being extreamely irritatated he adiudged him to death wherevpon he was publikly led out of prison towards the place where he was to receiue the glorious crowne of Martyrdome which Nicephorus had no sooner vnderstoode but sodainely he ranne and hauing met his Saphricius throwing himselfe vpon the ground Alas cried he with a lowde voice ô Martyr of IESVS-CHRIST pardon me for I haue offended thee whereof Saphricius taking no notice the poore Nicephorus getting againe before him by a shorter passage set vpon him a new with the like humilitie coniuring him to pardon him in these termes ô Martyr of IESVS CHRIST pardon the offence which I haue committed against thee being a poore man subiect to offend for loe a crowne is alreadie bestowed vpon thee by our Sauiour whom thou deneyedst not yea thou hast confessed his holy name in the face of many witnesses But Saphricius continuing in his insolencie gaue hiÌ„ not one word in answere but onely the Executioner admiring the perseuerance of Nicephorus neuer quoth he to him did we see so great an Asse this fellow is going euen at this instant to die what hast thou to doe with his pardon To whom Nicephorus answering thou knowest not quoth he what it is I demand of this Confessour of IESVS CHRIST but God kowes Now in the interim Saphricius arriued at the place of execution where yet againe Nicephorus hurling himselfe vpon the grownd before him I beseech thee quoth he ô Martyr of IESVS CHRIST that it would please thee to pardon me for it is written aske and it shall be granted you Words which could not at all bowe the flintie and rebellious heart of the accursed Saphricius who obstinatly denying mercy to his neighbour was himselfe depriued by the iust iudgment of God of the most glorious Palme of Martyrdome for the Headsman commanding him to put himselfe vpon his knees that he might behead him he begun to be daunted and to condition with him making in the end this deplorable and shamefull submission Ah for pitie doe not behead me I will submite my selfe to the Emperours ordonance and sacrifice to the Idols Which the poore good man Nicephorus hearing with teares in his eyes he begun to crie Ah my deare brother doe not doe not I beseech thee transgresse the law and denie IESVS CHRIST Forsake him not for loue loose not the crowne of glorie which with so great paines and torments thou hast atchiued But alas this miserable Priest coÌ„ming to the Altar of Martyrdome there to consacrate his life to the eternall God had not called to mind what the Prince of martyres had saied If thou carrie thy offering vnto the Altar and remember that thy brother hath somewhat against thee leaue thy offering there goe and be reconciled vnto thy brother and theÌ„ come and present thyne offering Wherefore God reiected his present and withdrawing his mercy from him permitted that he lost not onely the soueraigne felicitie of Martyrdome but euen fell headlong into the miserie of Idolatrie while the humble and meeke Nicephorus perceiuing this crowne of Martyrdome vacant by the Apostasie of the obdurate Saphricius touched with an excellent and extraordinarie inspiratioÌ„ put faire for â—â—ying to the officiers and the headsman I am a christian my friends I am in truth a ChristiaÌ„ and doe beleeue in IESVS CHRIST whoÌ„ Saphricius hath denied put me therefore I beseech you in his place smite of this head of myne At which the officers being wonderfully astonished they carried the tidings to the Emperour who gaue order for Saphricius his libertie and that Nicephorus should be put to death which happened the 9. of Feb about the yeare 260. of our Sauiour as Metaphrastes and Surivs recounteth A dreadfull historie and worthy diligently to be pondered in the behalfe we speake off for did you not note my deare THEO the Couragious Saphricius how bold and feruent he was in the defence of his faith how he suffered a thousand torments how constant and immoueable he was in the confession of our Sauiours name while he was roled and crusht in that presse like machine how readie he was to receiue death's blow to fulfill the highest point of the Diuine lawe preferring God's honour before his owne life And yet because on the other side he preferred the satisfaction which his cruell heart tooke in hating Nicephorus before the Diuine will he came short of the goale and while he was vpoÌ„ the point of attaining and gaining the prise of glorie by Martyrdome vnprofitably strumbling and falling into Idolatrie broke his necke 4. It is therefore true my THEO that it is not enough for vs to loue God more then our owne life vnlesse we also loue him generally absolutly and without reserue more then all we doe or can loue But you will saie vnto me did not our Sauiour designe the furthest point of our Loue towards him in saying that a man could not haue a greater charitie then to expose a mans life for his friends It is true indeede THEO that amongst the particular acts and testimonies of Diuine Loue there is none so great as to vndergoe
death for Gods glorie yet it is also true that it is but onely one act one onely testimonie which indeede is the Maister peece of Charitie but besids it Charitie exacts many things at our hands and so much more ardently and instantly as they are acts more easie common and ordinarie amongst all the Louers and more generally necessarie to the conseruation of Diuine Loue. O miserable Saphricius durst thou be bould to affirme that thou loued'st God as thou ought'st whil'st thou doest not preferre the will of God before the passion of hatred and ranckour entertained in thy heart against the poore Nicephorus To be willing to die for God is one and the greatest but not the onely act of Loue which we owe to God To will this act onely with excluding the others is not charitie but vanitie Charitie is not fantasticall which yet she would be in the highst degree if being resolued to please the Beloued in things of greatest difficultie she would permit one to displease hī in matters of of lesse momēt How should he die for God who will not liue accordīg to God 5. A well ordered mind that is resolued to die for a friend would also without doubt vndergoe all other things for he that hath once despised death ought not to set by other things But the mind of man is weake inconstant and humorous wherevpon he doth oft rather choose to die then to vndergoe farre slighter paines willingly changing life for a friuelous childish and extreamely vaine contentment Agripina hauing learn't that the child which she bore should indeede be Emperour but yet that he would put her to death Let him kill me quoth she prouided that he raigne marke I praie you the disorder of this foolishly louing mothers heart she preferr's her sonn 's dignitie before her owne life Cato and Cleopatra choosed death rather then to see their enemies exult and glorie in hauing them And Lucrecia found it easier to precipitate herselfe impetuously vpon death then vniustly to be branded with the shame of a fact whereof she seemed not guiltie How many are there that would willingly embrace death for their friend who yet would not liue in their seruice or yet accomplish their other desires Such there are as will lay open their life to danger who yet will not open their purse And though there be many found who engage their life for their friends defence yet scarcely is there one found in an age that will engage his libertie or loose an ounce of the most vaine and vnprofitable reputation or renowne in the world be it for neuer so deare a friend A Confirmation of that which hath bene saied by a notable comparison CHAPTER IX 1. YOu know THEO of what nature Iacobs loues towards Rachel were and what did not he doe to testifie their greatenesse force and fidelitie euen from the houre he had saluted her at the head of the fountaine For frō thenceforth neuer did he cease to die of loue for her and to game her in Marriage he serued seuē whole yeares with an incredible desire conceiuing yet in himselfe that all this was nothing so did Loue sweetē the paines which he supported for his beloued Rachel whereof being after frustrated he serued yet other seuen yeares space to obtaine her so constant loyall and couragious was he in his affection And hauing at length obtained her he neglected all other affections yea and had in a manner in no esteeme euen Lia her seruice though his first Spouse a woman of great merite worthy to be cherished and of the neglect whereof euen God himselfe tooke compassion so remarkable it was 2. But all this being done which was euen sufficient to haue brought downe the most disdainefull wench in the world to the loue of so loyall a Louer it is a shame verily to see the weaknesse which Rachel made appeare in her affectiō to Iacob The poore neglected Lia had no tye of Loue with Iacob saue her onely fertilitie whereby she had made him a father to foure Sonn's the eldest whereof named RVBEN being gone forth into the fields in the time of wheat-haruest he found Mandragores which he gathered and after his returne home presented to his mother Which Rachel espying saied giue me part of thy Sonns Mandragores she answered doest thou thinke it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband from me vnlesse thou take also my Sonn 's Mandragores Goe too saied Rachel for thy Sonn 's Mandragores let him sleepe with thee this night She accepted the condition and when Iacob returned at euen from the field Lia went out to meete him ād saied with ioyfull cheere this night thou art myne my deare Lord and friend because with wages I haue hired thee for my Sonn 's Mādragores and with this vp and told him the compact which had passed betwixt her and Rachel But from Iacob beleeue it there was no words heard being struck with a maisement and hauing his heart seased with the weakenesse and inconstancie of Rachel who for a thing of nothing had forsaken for a whole night the honour and content of his presence For speake the truth THEO was it not a strange and vaine lightnesse in Rachel to preferre a companie of little Aples before the chast loues of so louing a husband If it had yet bene done for Kingdomes for Monarkies but to doe it for a poore handfull of Mandragores THEOTIME what conceite frame you of it 3. And yet returning home to our owne bosomes ah good God how oft doe we make elections infinitly more shamefull and wretched The great S. AVGVSTINE vpon a time tooke pleasure leasurely to view and contemplate Mandragores the better to discerne the cause why Rachel had so passionatly coueted them And he found that they were indeede pleasing to the view and of a delightfull smell yet altogether insipide and without gust Now Plinie recounts that when the Surgeōs orders that such as they are to cut should drinke the iuyce of them to th' end they might not feele the smart of the lance it happens often that the very smell doth worke the operation and doth sufficiently put the patient into a sleepe wherevpon the Mandragora is held a bewitching Plant which doth inchant the eyes sorrowes and all kind of passions by sleepe For the rest he that smels the sent of them too long turnes deafe and he that drinks too much of them dies without redemption 4. THEOT could pompes riches and terreane delights be better represented they haue a gaining out-side but ah he that bites this aple that is he that sounds their natures finds neither taste nor contentment in them Neuerthelesse they doe so inchant and bewitch vs with the vanities of their smell and the renowne which the Sonn 's of the world giue them doth benumme and put those into a deepe sleepe which doe attentiuely linger in them or such as receiue them in too great aboundance And alas these are the Mandragores the Chimera's
truth or a most true humilitie that indeede we are most vnprofitable and vnfruitfull seruants to our Maister who by reason of his essentiall superabundancie of riches can haue no profit by vs but conuerting all our works to our owne aduantage and commoditie he makes vs serue him with as little profit to him as much profit to our selues who by so small labours gaine so great rewards 3. He was not then bound to paie vs for our seruice if he had not passed his promis for it yet doe not thinke THEO that he would so manifest his goodnesse in this promise as to forget to glorifie his wisdome yea contrariwise he did most exactly obserue the rules of equitie mixing comelinesse with liberalitie in an admirable manner for though our works are indeede very small and in no wise for their quantitie cōparable to Glorie yet in regard of their qualitie they are very proportionable therevnto by reason of the Holy Ghost who by Charitie dwelling in our hearts workes them in vs by vs and for vs in so exquisite a manner that the same workes that are wholy ours are more wholy his sith as he doth produce them in vs so we againe produce them in him as he doth them for vs so we doe them for him as he operats them with vs so we cooperate them with him 4. Now the holy Ghost doth dwell in vs if we be liuely members of IESVS CHRIST who herevpon saied vnto his Disciples He that abids in me and I in him he brings forth much fruit and it is THEO because he that abids in him is made partaker of his diuine Spirit who is in the midst of mans heart as a liuing fountaine of water springing vp vnto life euerlasting so the holy oyle which was poured vpon our Sauiour as vpon the head of the Church militant and triumphant doth spread it selfe ouer the societie of the Blessed who as the sacred beard of this heauenly Maister is continually fastened to his glorious face and doth drope vpon the companie of the faithfull who as clothes are ioyned and vnited by loue to the Diuine Maiestie the one and the other troope being composed of naturall brethren hauing hereby occasion to crie out Behold how good and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell in one as oyntment on the head which ranne downe vpon the beard the beard of Aaron which ranne downe vpon the hemme of his garment 5. Our works therefore as a little corne of mustard are in no sort comparable in greatnesse to the tree of glorie which they produce yet haue they the vigour and vertue to worke it for that they proceede from the holy ghost who by an admirable infusiō of his grace into our hearts makes our works his and yet withall leaues them our owne since we are members of one head whereof he is the Spirit and ingraffed in a tree whereof he is the sape and whereas he doth in this sort act in our actions and we after a certaine manner doe operate or cooperate to his operation he leaues vs to our part all the merite ad profite of our seruices and good workes and we againe leaue him all the honour and praise thereof acknowledging that the beginning the progresse and the end of all the good we doe depends of his mercy by which he hath come vnto vs and hath preuented vs he came into vs and assisted vs he came with vs and conducted vs finishing what he had begun But ô God THEO how mercifull is this Bountie vnto vs in this diuision we render him the glorie of our praises alas and he giues vs the glorie of his possession In somme by these light and passing labours we obtaine goods permanent for all eternitie Amen That perfect vertues are neuer one without the other CHAPTER VII 1. The heart is saied to be the first part of a mā which receiues life by the vnion of the soule and the eye the last as contrariwise in a naturall death the eye begins first to die the heart the last Now when the heart begins to liue before the other parts be animated life is feeble tender and imperfect but still as it gets further possession in the other parts of the bodie life is more vigorous in each part but particularly in the heart and we see that life being interressed in any one of the members it is weakened in all the rest If a mans foote or arme be agreeued all the bodie is disseased stirred troubled and changed If our stomake paine vs the eyes voice and countenance are sensible of it Such is the agreement amongst all the parts of man for the enioying of this naturall life 2. All the vertues are not gotten in an instant but one after another as reason which is as the soule of our heart rids it selfe now of one passion now of another to moderate and gouerne them and ordinarily this life of our soule takes it's beginning in the heart of our passion which is Loue and branching it selfe ouer all the rest it doth euen quicken the very vnderstanding by contemplation as contrariwise morall or spirituall death makes its entrie into the soule by the consideration Death enters by the windowes saieth the sacred Text and its last effect is to distroy the good Loue which once perishing all our morall life is dead in vs so that though me may indeede haue some vertues seperated from others yet are they but at most languishing imperfect and weake vertues since that reason which is the life of our soule is neuer satisfied or at ease in a soule vnlesse it occupie and possesse all the faculties and passions of the same and being once agreeued or hurt in any one of our passions or affections all the rest loose their force and vigour and strangly doe pine away 3. Marke THEO all the vertues are vertues by the proportion or conformitie they haue to reason and an action cannot be named vertuous if it proceede not from the affection which the heart beares to the decencie and beautie of reason Now if the loue of reason doe possesse and animate the mynd it will be obedient to reason in all occurrences and consequently will practise all the vertues If IACOB loued RACHEL in respect that she was Laban's daughter why did he despise LIA who was not onely the daughter but euen the eldest daughter of the saied LABAN But because he affected RACHEL by reason of her beautie he could neuer equally loue the poore LIA though a fruitfull and wise maide not being so faire in his eye He that loues a vertue for the loue of the reason and decorum that shines in it he will loue them all since he will find the same motiue in thē all and he will loue each of them more or lesse as reason shall appeare in them more or lesse resplendēt He that loues Liberalitie and not Chastitie shewes sufficiently that he loues not liberalitie for the beautie of reason for that is
happie and his life blessed ô what a blessed life saith S. AVGVSTINE which to flie we flie to death If it be blessed why doe you not remaine in it So that Captaine of the Stoicks who was so greartly extolled amongst those cruell and profane people for hauing slaine himselfe in Vtica to auoyd a calamitie which he reputed vnworthy of his life performed it with so little true vertue that as S. AVGVSTINE saieth he did not testifie that he had a courage that would eschew dishonour but a weake soule which had not the heart to expect aduersitie For if he reputed it a dishonorable thinge to liue vnder Caesars coÌ„mand why had he commanded to hope in Caesars mercy why did he not aduise his sonne to die with him if death were better aÌ„d more honorable then life He killed himselfe then because he either enuyed Caesar the glorie to haue power to pardoÌ„ him or for that he apprehended it a disgrace to liue vnder a Conquerour that he hated wherein he may be commended for a stout and bigge heart yet not for a wise vertuous and stayed Spirit The crueltie which is exercised out of choler in cold blood is the most cruell of all it is the like in despaire for the most slow deliberate and resolute is the lest excusable and the most desperate And as for LVCRECIA that we may not forget the vallour of the lesse vallourous Sexe Either she was chast when TARQVINIVS did force and violate her or she was not If LVCRECIA was not chast why is the chastitie of Lucrecia commended If Lucrecia were chast and vnspotted in that occurrence was it not an vnworthy fact in Lucrecia to murther the innocent Lucrecia If she were adulterious why so much extolled If honest why was she slaine I But she dreaded dishonour and reproch from such as might haue thought that the dishonour which she suffered by force while yet she liued had bene willingly suffered if she had after daigned to liue She was afraied the world would iudge that she complied with the sinne if that which was villanously coÌ„mitted against her had bene patiently supported by her And must we then to auoyd shame and reproch which depends vpon the opinion of men oppresse the innocent and kill the iust must we maintaine honour at vertues â—ost and reputation with hazard of iniustice Such were the vertues of the most vertuous Pagans towards God and towards themselues 3. Touching the vertues that belong to our neighbours euen by their lawes they trod them shamefully vnder foote yea the principall of them Pietie For Aristotle the greatest wit amongst them doth pronounce this most horrible and violent sentence Touching the exposing that is the abandoning of children or their education let this be the law that nothing is to be kept that is depriued of any member touching other children if they be prohibited by the lawes and customes of the Citie to forsake their children and that the numbers of any ones children doe so encrease on him that he hath more by halfe then his meanes will keepe he is to preueÌ„t and to procure an aborsement Seneca that so renowned a wise man we kill monsters saieth he and such of our children as are manke weaklings imperfect or moÌ„strous we reiect and abandone So that it is not without cause that Tertullian doth reproch the Romans with the exposing of their children to the mercy of the waters to the cold to famine to dogs and this also not by the extreamitie of want for as he saieth the Presidents and Magistrats themselues practised this vnnaturall crueltie ô good God THEO what kind of vertuous men were these And what was their wisdome who taught a wisdome so cruell and brutall Alas saied the great Apostle thinking themselues wise they became senselesse and their foolish heart hath bene darkened and deliuered vp into a reprobate sense Ah what a horrour it is that so great a Philosopher should aduise aborsement It is a forerunning of manslaughter saieth Tertullian to hinder a child conceiued to be borne and S. Ambrose reprehending the Pagans for this barbarousnesse they depriue by this meanes saieth he their children of life before they are yet possessed of it 4. And if the PagaÌ„s haue at any time practised any vertues it was most ordinarily in regard of wordly glorie and consequently they had onely vertue in action but neither the motiues nor inteÌ„tion thereof nor is vertue true vertue vnlesse it haue a right intention The Pagans force was built vpon humane auarice saieth the Councell of Aur but the strength of Christians is established by heauenly charitie The Pagans vertues saieth S. AVGVSTINE were not true but onely resembled Truth as not hauing bene practised to their true end but for pretentions that vanish away FABRITIVS shall be lesse punished then CATAZINE not that he was good but because this was worse Not that FABRITIVS had any true vertues but because he was not so farre distant from them So that the Pagans vertues at the day of Iudgment will be a kind of defence to them not that they can be saued thereby but that they may be lesse daÌ„ned one vice was blotted out by another amongst the Pagans one vice making place to another without leauing any place at all to vertue And out of vaine glorie onely they repressed auarice and many other vices yea sometimes through vanitie they despised vanitie wherevpon one of them who seemed to be least vaine trampled with his feete Plato's finely made bed what dost thou DIOGENES saied PLATO vnto him I tread vnder foote Plato's pride quoth he It is true replyed PLATO thou treadst vpon it but with another pride Whether SENECA was vaine may be gathered out of his last words for the end crownes the worke and the last houre iudgeth all ô what vanitie being at the point of death he saied vnto his friends that be could not till now sufficiently thanke them aâ—â— that therefore he would leaue them a Legacie part of that which was most gracious and excellent in him and which if they carefully kept they should receiue great honour by it adding that this magnificent Legacie was no other thinge then the picture of his life Doe not you marke THEO how his last breathing stinke of vanitie It was not the loue of honestie but the loue of honour which pricked forward those wise worldlings to the exercise of vertue and indeede their vertues were as different from true vertues as the honour of honestie and the loue of merite is different from the Loue of reward Those that serue their Prince for their owne interest doe ordinarily performe their dutie with more solicitude ardour and feeling but such as serue out of Loue doe it more nobly generously and therefore more worthily 4. Carbunckles and Rubies are called by the grecians by two contrarie names to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of fire aÌ„d without fire or else inflamed and without flame They
conserue life after Charities death who gaue them life The Lake which profane authours doe commonly call Asphalitus and sacred authours MARE-MORTVVM hath so heauie a curse put vpon it that nothing that is put into it can liue when the fish of Iordaine doe come neere it they die vnlesse they speedily returne backe against the streame The trees vpon the brims of it produce nothing aliue and though their fruit be in apparance and autward shew like to the fruits of other countries howbeit when on puls them they are found to be skinne and core being full of asshes which flie away in the wind These be the markes of infamous sinns for the punishment whereof this Coūtrie which was peopled with three populous Cities was of old conuerted into a pit of filth and corruption and nothing was deamed better to represent the mischeife of sinne then this abominable Lacke which had its origine from the most execrable disorder that could be cōmitted by mans bodie Sinne therefore as a dead and mortall sea kills all that comes neere it nothing is found liuing in the soule which it possesseth nor all about it O God THEO nothing for sinne is not onely a dead worke but is withall so infections and venimous that the most excellent vertues of the sinfull soule doe produce no liuing action And though the actions of sinners haue oftentimes a great resemblance with those of the iust man yet are they indeede barkes onely stuffed with wind and dust whē they are truely looked into and are rewarded of God onely by some present benefits which are bestowed vpō thē as vpon the chambermaids children yet are they such barkes as neither are nor can be so tasted and relished by the Diuine Iustice as to be rewarded with an eternall crowne they die vpon the trees and cannot be conserued in the hand of God being voyd of true worth as it is saied in the Apocalypse to the Bishop of Sardis who was reputed a liuing tree by reason of diuers vertues which he practised and yet dead he was for that being in sinne his vertues were not true liuing fruits but dead barkes glorious to the eyes but no wayes sauorie to the palate so that we may all cast out this true voice following the holy Apostle without Charitie I am nothing nothing doth profit me and with S. AVGVSTINE saie Giue Charitie to a heart and all doth profit depriue it of Charitie and nothing doth profit it I meane towards life euerlasting for as we haue saied the vertuous works of sinners are profitable to our temporall life But my deare THEO what doth it profit a man to gaine all the world temporally if he loose his soule eternally How holy Loue returning into the soule doth reuiue all the works which sinne had slayne CHAPTER XII 1. THe works then of a sinner while he is depriued of Charitie are not profitable to eternall life and therevpon they are called dead works whereas contrariwise the good works of the iust man are saied to be liuing for that the Diuine Loue doth animate and quicken them with its dignitie And if afterwards they loose their life and worth by sinne they are held to be workes that are deaded extinguished or mortified onely but not quite deade especially in the Elect for as our Sauiour speaking of the little Tabitha Iarus his daughter said she was not dead but slept onely because she continued dead so small a time till she was resuscitated that it seemed rather to be a sleepe then a true death So the works of the iust man but especially of the elect who by the commission of sinne dyeth are not called dead works but onely deaded mortified stounded or put into a trance because vpon the next returne of holy Loue they either ought or at least may reuiue and returne to life againe Sinn 's returne depriues the soule and all her workes of life the returne of Grace doth restore life to the soule and all her actions A sharpe winter doth dead all the plants of the fields so that if it continued still they would still continew in the state of death Sinne the sad and daunting winter of the soule doth quayle all the holy workes that it finds there in and if it did alwayes continew neuer would any thing recouer either life or vigour But as in the returne of the pleasant spring not onely the seedes which are sowē by the helpe of this delightfull and fruitfull season doe gratefully bud and blossome euery one in his kind but euen the old plants which the rigour of the winter past had bitten withered and deaded waxe greene and doe resume new force vertue and life So sinne being blotted out and the grace of Diuine Loue returning into the soule the new affections which this spring of grace doth bring doe blossome and bring forth ample merites and blessings but the works that are dried vp and withered by the rigour of the winter of sinns ouer passed as being deliuered from their mortall enemye resume their force waxe strong and as risen from the dead they florish a new and store vp merits for the eternall life Such is the omnipotencie of Diuine Loue or the Loue of the Diuine omnipotencie If the impious turne away himselfe from his impietie and shall doe iudgement and iustice he shall viuificate his soule conuert and doe penance for all your iniquities and iniquitie shall not be a ruine vnto you saieth our Lord. And what is that iniquitie shall not be a ruine vnto you but that the ruine which it made shall be repaired So besides a thousand courtisies that the prodigall sonne receiued at his Fathers hands he was reestablished euen with aduantage in all his ornaments graces fauours and dignities which he had lost And IOB that innocent picture of a penitent sinner did in the end receiue the double of that which he had Verily it is the Councell of Trēts desire that we should encourage the penitents that are returned into fauour with God allmightie in these words of the Apostle Abound in euery good worke knowing that your labour is not vnprofitable in our Lord for God is not vniust to forget your worke and the Loue which you haue showen in his name God then doth not forget the works of those who by sinne hauing lost loue recouers it againe by penance Now God is saied to forget our workes whē they loose their merite and sanctitie by sinne committed and he remembers them when they returne to life and vigour by the presence of holy Loue. So that amongst the faithfull it is not necessarie to the reward of their good works as well by the encrease of grace and future glorie as by the enioying of life euerlasting in effect that one fall not into sinne but it is sufficient according to the Councell of Trent that one depart this life in God's grace and charitie 2. God hath promised an eternall reward to the works of a iust man but if the
not onely in regard of the chastiments which the soueraigne Iustice of God doth practise in this world but also in respect of the punishments which he exerciseth in the other life vpon their soules that haue incurable sinnes so deeply is the instinct of fearing a Deitie engrauen in mans nature 2. But this feare being practised by way of a sodaine motion or naturall feeling is neither to be commended nor condemned in vs since it proceedes not from our election yet is it an effect of a best cause and cause of a best effect for it comes from the naturall knowledge which God hath giuen vs of his Prouidence and giues vs to vnderstand what dependance we haue of the soueraigne omnipotencie mouing vs to implore his aide and being in a faithfull soule it doth much aduance her in goodnesse Christians amidst the astonishments which Thunder Tempests and other naturall dangers cause in vs inuoke the sacred name of IESVS and MARIE make the signe of the Crosse prostrate themselues before God and exercise many good acts of Faith Hope and Religion The Glorious SAINT THOMAS of Aquine being naturally subiect to start when it thundered was accustomed to saie by way of Iaculatorie Praier the Diuine words which the Church hath in such esteeme THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH Vpon this feare then Diuine Loue doth make diuers acts of Complacence and Beneuolence I will blesse thee ô Lord for thou art wōderfully magnified Let euery one feare thee ô Lord ô you great ones of the earth vnderstand serue our Lord in feare and reioyce in him with trembling 3. But there is another feare that takes it's beginning from Faith which teacheth vs that after this mortall life there are punishments dreadfully eternall or eternally dreadfull prepared for such as in this world haue offended the Diuine Maiestie without a perfect reconciliation before their decease That at the house of death the soule shall be iudged by a particular Iudgment and that at the end of the world all shall rise and appeare together to be iudged againe in the Vniuersall Iudgment For these Christian truthes THEOT doe strike the hearts of those that doe deeply ponder them with an extreeme horrour and indeede how could one represent vnto himselfe those eternall honours without foming and quaking with apprehension Now when these feelings doe take such roote in our soule that they driue and banish thence the affection and will to sinne according as the holy Councell of Trent speaketh they are very wholsome We haue conceiued thy feare ô Lord and haue brought forth the Spirit of Saluation I saie hath it That is thy wrothfull face tertified vs and made vs conceiue and bring forth the Spirit of Penance which is the Spirit of Saluation so did the Psalmist saie my bones enioyed no peace but trembled before the face of thy anger 4. Our Sauiour who euen came to establish the law of Loue amongst vs ceaseth not to inculcate vnto vs this feare feare him saieth he who hath power to throw the bodie and soule into hell fire The NINIVITS did penance vpon the threat of their owne subuersion and damnation and their penance was agreeable to God to be short this feare is comprised amongst the gifts of the holy Ghost as many aunciant Fathers haue noted 5. But if Feare doe not deterre our will and affection from Sinne truely it is bad and like to that of the diuells who cease to doe mischiefe onely through a feare they haue to be tormented by the Exorcisme without ceasing to desire and will mischeife which is their meditation for euer Like to that of the miserable gallie-slaue who would euen eate the Captaines heart though he dares not stirre from the Oare least he might be beaten Like to the Feare of that great old Maister-heretike who confessed that he hated God because he did punish the wicked Certes he that loues sinne and would willingly commit it maugre Gods will though in effect he will not commit it onely least he might be damned hath a horrible and detestable feare for though he haue not the will to come to the execution of sinne yet doth he entertaine the execution of it in his will since he would doe it if feare withheld him not and it is as it were by force that he effectes it not 6. To this Feare one may adde another lesse malicious indeede yet no lesse vnprofitable as was that of the Iudge FELIX who hearing Gods iudgmēts spoken off was stroken into amazemēt yet did he not for all that giue ouer his auarice and that of BALTASAR who in seeing the prodigious hand that wrote his condemnation vpon the wall was so astonished that he looked agaste the ioyntes of his backe bone were disioynted his knees with shaking dashed one against another nor would he yet doe penance and to what purpose is it to feare euill vnlesse by feare we resolue to eschew it 7. Their Feare then that doe as slaues obserue the Law of God to auoyd Hell is good indeede but much more noble and desirable is the mercinarie feare of Christians who as hirelings doe faithfully labour yet not principally for any loue they beare their Maister but to be rewarded with the reward promised O that the eye could see that the eare could heare or that it could enter into the heart of man what God hath prepared for those that serue him Ah what an apprehension would one haue to violate Gods commandements least he might loose those immortall rewards What teares what sobbs would one cast out when by sinne one had lost it Yet should this Feare be blame worthy if it contained in it the exclusion of holy Loue for he that should saie I will not serue God for any loue I will haue towards him but onely to attaine the reward he promiseth should commit blasphemie in preferring the reward before his Maister the benefit before the Benefactour the inheritance before the Father and his owne profit before God almightie as we haue more amply showen in the second booke 8. But finally when we feare to offend God not to auoyd the paines of Hell or the lose of Heauen but onely for that God being our good Father we owe him honour respect obedience thē our Feare is filiall because a well borne child doth not obeye his Father in respect of the power he hath to punish his disobedience or because he might disinherite him but purely because he is his Father In such sort that though his Father were old impotent and poore he would not serue him with lesse diligence but rather as a pious Storke would assist him with more care and affection Euen as IOSEPH seeing the good man IACO◠his Father old in want and brought vnder his scepter ceased not to honour serue and reuerēce him with a more thē filiall tēdernesse and such as his brothers hauing takē notice apprehended that it would euen worke after his death and therevpon they made vse of it to obtaine
by which we consider him as source of Grace so will he bestow vpon vs the LIGHT OF GLORIE by which we shall contemplat him as fountaine of Beatitude and eternall life but a fountaine THEOT which we shall not contemplate a farre off as we doe now by faith but we shall see it by the LIGHT OF GLORIE being couered and swallowed vp in it The Duckers saieth Plinie who fishing for precious stones diue into the water doe take oile in their mouthes that by scattering it they might haue more day to see in the waters where they swime THEO the Blessed hauing diued and plunged themselues into the Ocean of the Diuine essence God will poure into their vnderstandings the sacred LIGHT OF GLORIE which will giue them day in the Abisse of this inaccessible light that so by the LIGHT OF GLORIE they may see the LIGHT OF THE DIVINITIE In God the fountaine is Of Life and heauenly blisse His brightnesse shall appeare To vs in th'-rayon cleare Of his day which shall be Our day of IVBILIE That there shall be different degrees of the vnion of the Blessed with God CHAPTER XV. 1. NOw this light of Glorie THEO shall be the measure of the sight and contemplation of the Blessed and according as we shall haue lesse or more of this holy splendour we shall see more or lesse clearely and consequently more or lesse happily the most holy Diuinitie which as it is beholden ād diuersly looked vpō so it will make vs diuersly glorious Certes in this heauenly Paradise all the SPIRITS see all the Diuine Essence yet no one of them nor all of them together doth or can see it entirely No THEO for God being most singularly one and most simply indiuisible one cannot see him without seeing all But being infinite without limite without bounds or measure at all in his perfection there neither is nor can be any capacitie out of himselfe who can euer totally comprehend or penetrate the infinitie of his Goodnesse infinitly essentiall and essentially infinite 2. This created light of the visible Sunne which is limited and finite is in such sort all seene of all those that doe behold it that it is neuer totally seene of any one of them nor of all together It is in a manner so with all our senses Amongst many that heare excellent musike though all of them heare it all yet some heare it not so well nor with so much delight as others according as their eares are lesse or more delicate MANNA had all tasts to all that eate it yet differently following the diuersitie of their appetits who tooke it yet was it totally tasted of none for it had more different tasts then the Israelits had varietie of gusts THEO we shall see and taste in heauen all the Diuinitie but neuer any of the Blessed nor all together shall euer see or taste it totally This infinite Diuinitie shall still haue infinitly more excellences then we sufficiencie and capacitie and we shall haue an vnspeakable content to know that after we haue satiated all the desire of our heart and fully replenished the capacitie thereof in the fruition of an infinite good which is God neuerthelesse there will remaine in this infinitie infinite perfections to be seene enioyed and possessed which his diuine Maiestie knowes and sees it onely comprehending it selfe 3. So fishes enioye the incredible vastnesse of the Ocean but neuer any fish nor yet all the multitude of fishes euer sawe all the armes of the Sea or wet their sinnes in all its waters Birds doe sport in the open aire at their pleasure but neuer any birde nor yet all the flok's of birds together did euer beat with their winges all the regions of the aire or arriue at the supreame region of the same Ah THEO our soules shall freely and according to the full extēt of their wishes swime in the Ocean and soare in the aire of the Diuinitie reioycing eternally to see that this aire is so infinite this Ocean so vast that it cannot be measured by their winges and that enioying without all reserue or exception all this infinite Abisse of the Diuinitie yet shall they neuer be able to equalize their fruition to this infinitie which remaines still infinitly infinite beyond their capicitie 4. And at this the Blessed SPIRITS are rauished with two admirations first at the infinite beautie which they contemplate secondly at the Abisse of the infinitie which remaineth to be seene in this same beautie O God how admirable is that which they see but ô God how much more admirable is that which they see not And notwithstanding THEO the most sacred beautie which they see being infinite it doth entirely satisfie and satiate them and enioying it with content according to the rancke which they hold in heauen because God's amiable prouididence hath so determined it they conuerte the knowledge they haue of not possessing or not being totally to possesse their obiect into a simple complacence of admiration in which they haue a soueraigne ioye to see that the beautie they loue is so infinite that it cannot be totally knowen but by it selfe For in this doth the Diuinitie of this infinite Beautie or the Beautie of this infinite Diuinitie consist The end of the third Booke THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE DECAY OR RVINE OF CHARITIE That while we are in this mortall life we may loose the loue of God CHAPTER I. I. WE make not these discourses for those great soules of Election whō God by a most speciall fauour doth so maintaine and confirme in his loue that they runne no hazard of loosing it We speake for the rest of mortalls to whom the Holy Ghost doth addresse these aduertisements he that stands let him take heede that he fall not hold what thou hast be carefull and labour that by Good workes you may assure your vocation in sequele whereof he makes them make this Praier doe not cast me from before thy face doe not take from me thy SPIRIT and leade vs not into temptation to th' end they may worke their saluation with a holy trembling and sacred feare knowing that they are not more constant and strong to conserue Gods loue then was the first Angell his followers and Iudas who receiuing it loosed it and in loosing it loosed themselues for euer nor then Salomon who hauing lost it holds the whole world in doubt of his damnation nor then ADAM EVE DAVID S. PETER who being children of Saluation fell yet for a space from the loue without which there is no saluation Alas THEO who shall then haue assurance to conserue sacred loue in the nauigation of this mortall life sith as well in earth as heauen so many personages of incomparable dignities suffered so fearefull shipwrakes 2. But ô eternall God how is it possible will you saie that a soule that loues God can neuer loose it for where loue is it resisteth sinne and how comes it to passe then that sinne gets entrie there sith
that loue is strong as death sharpe in battaile as hell how can the forces of deth or hell that is sinne vanquish loue which at least doth equalize them in strength and doth passe them in friends and right Yea how can it be that a reasonable soule that hath once relished so great a sweetenesse as is that of heauenly loue can euer willingly swallow the bitter waters of sinne children though children being fed with milke with butter ād honie abhorre the bitternesse of wormewoode and Orpin being readie to fall downe with weeping when they are constrained to take them All then o true God the soule once ioyned to the goodnesse of the Creator how can she forsake him to follow the vanitie of the creature 3. My deare THEO the heauens them selues stand amazed their ports doe burst with feare and the Angels of peace are lost in astonishment at this prodigious miserie of mans heart abandoning so amiable a good to ioyne it selfe to things so deplorable But haue you neuer seene the little marueill which euery one knowes and yet few knows the reason of it when a full barrill is broched the wine will not runne vnlesse it haue aire giuen from aboue which yet happens not to barrels already drawen on for they are no sooner open but the wine runnes Certes in this mortall life though our soules abound with heauenly loue yet are they neuer so full therwith that by temptation this loue may not depart but in heauē when the sweetenesse of Gods beautie shall occupie all our vnderstanding and the delightes of his Goodnesse shall wholy satiate our wills so that there shall be nothing which the fullnesse of his loue shall not replenish no obiect though it penetrate euen to our hearts can euer draw or make rūne one sole drope of the precious liquour of our heauenly loue And to think to giue aire aboue that is to deceiue or surprise the vnderstanding it shall no more be possible for it shall be immouable in the apprehension of the soueraigne TRVTH 4. So wine well purified and separated from the lees is easily keept harmelesse when it is tossed and troubled but that which is vpon the lees is in continuall danger and as for vs so long as we are in this world our soules are vpon the lees or tartar of a thousand humours and miseries and consequently easie to be changed and turned into their loue But being in heauen where as in the great feast described by Isaie there shall be wine purified from the dregges we shall be no longer subiect to change but shall be inseparably vnited by loue to our soueraigne good Here in the twie-light of day breake we are affraide that in lieu of the Spouse we fall vpon some other obiect which may delay and deceiue vs but when we shall find him aboue where he takes his repast and repose in the cleare day of glorie there will be no occasion to be deceiued for his light will be too cleare ād his sweetenesse will tye vs so closely to his goodnesse that we shall not haue the power to will to vntye our selues 5. We are like to Corall which in the sea the place of it's origine is pale-greene weake bowing and a pliable shrub but being pulled out of the sea as from it's mothers wombe it becomes almost a stone firme and impliable changing it's pale-greene into a liuely vermillion for so we being as yet amidst the sea of this world the place of our birth are obnoxius to strang changes pliable vpon euery occasion by inspiration to the right hand of heauenly loue by temptation to the left of terrene loue But if being once drawen out of this mortalitie we shall haue changed the pale-greene of our doubtfull hopes into the liuely red of assured fruition we shall neuer more be moueable but make a setled demoure for euer in eternall loue 6. It is impossible to see the Diuinitie and not loue it but here below where we doe not see it but onely haue a glimps of it through the cloudes of faith as in a myrror our knowledge is not yet so perfect as not to leaue entrie to the surprises of other obiects and apparant good which through the obscuritie mixed with the certaintie and veritie of faith doe insensibly steale in as little fox cubs and demolishe our florishing vine To conclude THEO when we haue charitie our free-will is deck't with her wedding garment which as she can still keepe on if she please in well doing so she can put it of if she please in offending How the soule waxeth coole in holy Loue. CHAPTER II. 1. THe soule is often contristated and afflicted in the bodie yea euen to the forgoing of many of the members thereof which remaine depriued of motion and sense though she neuer forsake the heart where she is still entirely till the periode of life So charitie is sometimes so quelled and made to languish in the heart that it doth scarcely appeare in any action though yet the remaine entire in the supreame region of the soule And then it is that vnder the multitude of veniall sinns as vnder finders the fire of holy Loue remaines couert its light being smothered though not deaded or extinguished for as the presence of the Diamant doth hinder the exercise and action of the Adamants propertie in drawing iron ād yet doth not depriue her of it hauing her operatiō as soone as the obstackle is remoued so the presence of veniall sinns doth in no sort depriue charitie of her force and power to worke yet doth it as it were benume and depriue her of the vse of her actiuitie So that she remaines sterill and barren without action Certes nor veniall nor yet the affection to veniall sinne is contrarie to the essentiall resolution of charitie which is to preferre God before all things because by this sinne we loue things besides reason not against reason we deferre a little too much and more thē is conuenient to creatures yet doe not we preferre them before the Creator we make more delay then is fitting in terrene things yet doe we not for all that forsake heauenly things In fine this kind of sinne doth impeach vs in the way of charitie but doth not put vs out of it and therefore veniall sinne not being contrarie to Charitie it neuer destroies her either wholy or partially 2. God signified to the Bishope of Ephesus that he had forsaken his prime charitie when he saieth not that he was without charitie but onely that he was not such as in the beginning that is that he was not now prompt feruent flourishing and frutefull as we are wount to saie of him who was braue cheerefull and frolicke and afterwards becomes harsh dull and lowtish that he is now the same man he was for our meaning is not that he is not the same in substance but onely in his actions and exercises And euen our Sauiour saieth that in the later daies the