feeblenesse and tendernesse of the one doth exalt and make more apparant the prudence and assurance of the other and euen this dissimilitude is agreeable on the other side children loue olde men because they see them buisie and carefull about them and that by a secret instinct they perceiue they haue neede of their directions Musicall concord stands in a kind of discord in which vnlike voices doe correspond making vp altogether one sole Close of proportion as the dissimilitude of precious stones and flowres doe make the gratefull compositiō of Imbosture and Diaprie so Loue is not caused alwayes by Resemblance and Sympathie but by Correspondance and Proportion which consisteth in this that by the vnion of one thing to another they may mutually receiue one anothers perfection and so be bettered The head doth not resemble the bodie nor the hand the arme yet they haue such a Correspōdance and are seated so neerely together that by their mutuall neighbourhood they doe meruelously enterchāge perfection so that if these parts had each one a distinct soule they would haue a perfect mutua◠Loue not by Similitude but by Correspondance which they haue in their mutuall perfection For this cause the melancolie and ioyefull soure and sweete haue often a correspondance of mutuall affection by reason of the mutuall impressions which they receiue one of an other by which their humours are reciprocally moderated But when this mutuall Correspondance meetes with similitude Loue without doubt is engendred more efficaciously for Similitude being the true picture of Vnitie when two like things are vnited by a proportion to the same end it seemes rather to be an Vnitie then an Vnion 11. The Sympathie then betwixt the Louer and the Beloued is the first source of Loue and this Sympathie or Conueniencie consisteth in a Correspondance which is no other thing then a mutuall aptitude making things proper to be vnited and mutually to communicate their perfections but this will be cleared in the processe of this booke That loue tends to vnion CHAPTER IX 1. THe great Salamon in a delitiously admirable ayre doth sing our Sauiours loues and those of the deuote soule in that diuin worke which for it's excellent sweetnesse is instyled the Canticle of Canticles And to rayse our selues in a more easie flight to the consideration of this spirituall loue which is exercised betwixt God and vs by the correspondance which the motions of our hearts haue with the inspirations of his diuine Maiestie he makes vse of a perpetuall representation of the loues of a chaste Shepheard and shamefast Shepheardesse Now making the Spouse or Bride first begin the parlie by manner of a certaine surprise of loue he makes her at the first onset lance out her heart in these words let him deigne me a kisse of his mouth Doe you marke THEOTIME how the soule personated by this Shepheardesse doth pretēd no other thing by the first expression of her desire thē a chast vnion with her spouse protesting that it is the highest ayme of her ambition and onely thing she breathes after For I pray you what other thing would this first sigh intimate Let him deigne me with a Kisse of his mouth 2. A Kisse from all ages as by naturall instinct hath bene imployed as a representation of perfect loue that is the vnion of hearts and not without cause we send out and muster the passions and motions which our soule hath common with brute beasts by our eyes eye-browes forehead and countenance in generall by his face a man is knowē saieth the Scripture and Aristotle giuing a reason why ordinarily great mens faces onely are pourtrated t' is saieth he that the countenances teach what they are 3. Yet doe we not vtter our discourse nor the thoughts which proceede from the spirituall portion of our soule called reason by which we are distinguished from Beasts but by words and in consequence by helpe of the mouth in so much that to poure out ones soule and scatter ones heart is nothing else but to speake Poure out your hearts before God saieth the PSALMIST that is expresse and turne the affections of your hearts into words And SAMVEL'S pious Mother pronouncing her praiers allthough so softly that one could hardly discerne the motion of her lips I haue poured out saieth she my heart before God in this wise one mouth is applyed to another in kissing to testifie that they desire to poure our one soule into the other reciprocally to vnite them in a perfect vnion and for this Reason in all times and amongst the most saintly men the world had the kisse hath bene a signe of loue and affection and such vse was vniuersally made of it amongst the auncient Christians as the great S. PAVLE testifieth when writing to the ROMAN'S and CORINTHIANS he saieth Salute mutually one another in a holy kisse And as diuerse doe witnesse IVDAS in betraying our SAVIOVR made vse of a Kisse to discouer him because this diuine SAVIOVR was accustomed to kisse his Disciples when he met them and not onely his Disciples but euen little Children whom he tooke louingly in his armes as he did him by comparison of whom he so solemnely inuited his APOSTLES to the loue of their Neighbours who as IANSENIVS reporteth was thought to haue bene S. MARTIAL 4. Thus then the Kisse being a liuely marke of of the vnion of hearts the Spouse who hath no other pretention in all her endeuours and pursuits then to be vnited to her beloued let him kisse me saieth she with a kisse of his mouth as if she had cryed out so many sighes and inflamed grones as my heart incessantly sobs out will they neuer impetrate that which my heart desires I runne alas shall I neuer gaine the prise for which I lance my selfe out which is to be vnited heart to heart spirit to spirit to my God my Spouse my life when will arriue the happie houre in which I shall poure my soule into his heart and that he will turne his heart into my soule that we may liue inseparable in that happie vnion 5. When the holy Ghost would expresse a perfect loue he alwayes in a manner makes choice of the word Vnion or Coniunction amongst the multitude of the faithfull saieth S. LVCKE there was but one heart and one soule our SAVIOVR praied for all the faithfull that they might be but on same thing SAINT PAVLE doth aduertise vs to conserue vnitie of minde by the vnion of peace These Vnities of heart soule and spirit doe signifie the perfection of Loue which ioynes many soules in one for so it is saied that IONATHAS his soule was glewed to DAVIDS that is to saie as the Scripture addeth He loued DAVID as his owne soule The great APOSTLE of FRANCE as well according to his owne Dictamē as that of HIEROTHEVS who he citeth writeth I thinke a thousand times in one Chapter OF DIVINE NAMES that Loue is of a Nature vnifying vniting referring recollecting
God What is she this might one saie of her who ascends though the Desert as a cloud of perfumes of Mirrhe of incense and of all the pouders of Perfumers and indeede it was the desire of secrecie that moued her to make this petition to her Spouse come my well-beloued let 's goe into the fieldes let vs soiourne in the village for this reason the heauenly spouse is stiled Tourtle a birde which is delighted in shadie and solitarie places where she makes no other vse of her voice but for her deare mate ether in life wooeing him or after his death plaining him For this respect in the Canticles the diuine Spouse and the heauenly Spouse represent their loues in a continuall discourse and if their friends men and women doe sometimes speake in it t' is onely by the by without interrupting their speach Hence the Blessed mother S. TERESA of IESVS found in the beginning more profit in the misteries where our Sauiour was most alone as in the Garden of Oliuet and where he expected the Samaritaine for she thought he being alone would with more ease admitt her into his companie 8. Loue loues to be secret yea though Louers haue no secret to impart yet are they delighted in speaking secretly and it is partly if I be not deceiued because they will speake onely to themselues nor doe they thinke to speake to themselues onely while they speake high partly for that they doe not deliuer coÌ„mon things in a coÌ„moÌ„ maÌ„ner but by particular wayes and such as relish the affection with which they are spoken Loue language for the words is comon yet in manner and pronounciation is so particular that none but Louers vnderstand it The name of a Friend vttered in common is no great thing but being spoken a part secretly in the eare it imports wonders And by how much more secretly it is spoken the signification is so much more delightfull O God what a difference is there betwixt the lâ—nguage of the auncient Louers of the Diuinitie Ignatius Cyprian Chrysostome Augustine Hilarie Ephrem Gregorie Bernard and that of lesse louing Diuines We vse their very wordes but with them they were words full of fire and the sweetes of Loues perfumes but with vs they are cold giuing no sent at all 9. Loue speakes not onely by the tongue but by the eyes by sighes couÌ„tenances yea it makes vse of mute silence in lieu of words My heart hath saied vnto thee ô Lord my face hath sought thee ô Lord I will search after thy face My eyes haue failed saying when wilt thou comfort me Heare my praier ô Lord and my demaund heare with thy eares my teares Let not the aple of thy eye cease to speake saied the desolate hearts of the inhabitants of Hierusalem to their owne Citie Doe you marke THEO how the silence of afflicted Louers speakes by the aple of their eyes and their teares Certainly the cheife exercise in mysticall Diuinitie is to speake to God and heare God speake in the bottom of the heart and because this discourse passeth in secrete aspiratioÌ„s aÌ„d inspirations we terme it a silent conference The eyes speake to the eyes and the heart to the heart and none vnderstands what passeth sauing the sacred louers who speakes Of Meditation the first degree of Praier or mysticall Diuinitie CHAPTER II. 1. THis word is frequent in the holy Scrip. and imports no other thing then an attentiue and reiterated thought apt to bring forth good or euill affections In the 1. Psalme the man is saied to be blessed whose will is in the way of our Lord and in his law will meditate day and night but in the 2. Psal why did the Gentils rage and people meditate vaine things MEDITATION therefore is made as well for euill as good ends Yet whereas in the holy Scripture the word MEDITATION is put ordinarily for the attention which we haue to holy things to th' end to stirre vs vp to loue them it hath as one would saie bene canonized by the common consent of Diuines with the word ANGELL and ZEALE as contrariwise the word DEMON or DIVEL hath bene defamed so that now when one names meditation we vnderstand a holy thinge and that by which we begin mysticall Diuinitie 2. Euery meditation is a thought but euery thought is not meditation for we haue thoughtes to which our mynd is caried without aime or pretention at all by way of a simple musing as we see flies flie from one flowre to an other without drawing any thing from them And be this kind of thought as attentiue as it may be it can neuer beare the name of meditation but must be called a simple thought Sometimes we consider a thinge attentiuely to learne it's causes effectes qualities and this thought is named studie in which the mynd is like locustes which promiscuously flie vpon flowres and leeues to eate them and nourishe themselfes thervpon but when we thinke of heauenly things not to learne but to loue them that is called to meditate and the exercise thereof Meditation in which our mynd not as a flie by a simple musing nor yet as a locust to eate and be filled but as a sacred Bee flies amongst the flowres of holy mysteries to extract from them the honnie of Diuine Loue. 3. So diuers meÌ„ are alwayes dreaming aÌ„d busying themselues in vnprofitable thoughtes without knowing in a manner what they thinke vpon and which is admirable they are onely attentiue for want of attention and would be rid of such thoughtes Wittnesse he that saied my thoughtes waste themselues tormenting my heart Others there are that studie and by a most laborious trade fill themselues with vanitie not being able to withstand curiositie But few there are that meditate to kindle their heart with heauenly loue In fine thoughtes and studies may be vpon any subiect but meditation in our present sense hath reference onely to those obiectes whose consideration tend's to make vs good and deuote So that meditation is an attentiue thought iterated or voluntarily intertained in the mynd to excitate the will to holy affections and resolutions 4. Verily the holy word doth admirably well explicate by an excellent similitude wherin holy meditation consisteth Ezechias when he would explicate in his Canticle the attentiue consideratioÌ„ which he had of his annoyes I will crie saieth he like a young swallow and meditate as a doue for my deare THEO if euer you tooke notice of it the younge swallows doe gape wide in their chirping and contrariwise the doue of all the birdes doth murmur with her neb shut and clos'd rowling her voice in her weesell and and crope nothing passing outwardly but a certaine resounding or eccho-like sound and this close murmuring doth equally serue her in the expression of her griefe and loues Ezechias then to shew that in his calamitie he made many vocall Praiers I will crie saieth he as a younge swallow opening my mouth to lay before God in many
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
silence Vnto thy peerlesse worth Silence doth sing Th'Hymne of Admiration O Sion's Kinge For so Isaie his Seraphins adoring and praising God vayled their faces and feete confessing therein theire want of sufficiencie sufficiently to contemplate or serue him for our feete whereon we goe signifies seruice Howbeit they flie with two wings in the continuall motion of Complacence and Beneuolence their Loue resting in that delightfull vnrest 6. Mans heart is neuer so much disquieted as when the motion by which it doth continually open and shut it selfe is troubled neuer so quiet as when its motions are free so that the hearts quiet consisteth in motion The like it is with the Seraphins and Seraphicall men for their Loue reposeth in the motion of it's complacence by which it draws God clerely into it selfe and in the motion of Beneuolence by which it doth dilate and throw it selfe into God This Loue then desires to behold the infinite wonders of God's goodnesse yet it spreeds it's wings ouer it's face confessing that it cannot arriue thither It would also present some worthy seruice yet hath it's feete couered to professe that it hath not power to performe it nor doth any thing remaine sauing the two wings of Complacence and Beneuolence by which it flies vp and casts it selfe vpon God The end of the fift Booke THE SIXT BOOKE OF THE EXERCISES OF HOLY LOVE IN PRAIER A description of mysticall Diuinitie which is no other thing then praier CHAPTER I. I. WE haue two principall exercices of our loue towards God the one affectiue the other effectiue or as S. BERNARD calles it actiue By that we affect God and what he affecteth by this we serue God and doe what he ordaines That ioynes vs to Gods goodnesse this makes vs execute his will The one fills vs with complacence beneuolence motions desires aspirations and spirituall ardors causing vs to practise the sacred infusions and mixtures â—f our spirit with Gods The other doth establish in vs the solide resolution constancie of heart and inuiolable obedience requisite to effect the ordinances of the diuine will and to suffer admit approue and embrace all that comes from his good pleasure The one makes vs pleased in God the other makes vs please God by the one we conceiue by the other we bring fourth by the one we place God vpon our heart as an Ensigne of loue by which our affections are ordered by the other we seate him vpon our arme as a sword of loue wherby we effect all vertuous exploits 2. The first exercise coÌ„sisteth in Praier specially in which so many different inward motions passe that to expresse them all is impossible not onely by reason of their number but also for their nature and qualitie which being spirituall they cannot but be very secret and almost hid from our vnderstanding the most trained and best sented hounds are often at default loosing the straine and sent by the varietie of sleights which the Hart vseth by dubles making them rune riot and practising a thousand shiftes to escape the Crie and we often times loose the sent and knowledge of our owne heart in the infinite diuersitie of motions by which it doth turne it selfe into so many formes and that with such promptitude that one cannot discerne the footings thereof 3. God alone is he who by his infinite wisdome sees souÌ„ds and penetrats all the turnings aÌ„d windings of our hearts he a farre of vnderstands our thoughts finds out our traces our doubles and leapings of His knowledge therein is admirable passing our capacitie and reach Certainly if we would looke backe vpon our owne hearts by the reflections and turnings of their actions we should light into Labyrinthes wherein we should find no out-gate and it would require an intolerable atteÌ„tion to thinke what our thoughtes are to consider our considerations to see all our spirituall sightes to discerne that we discerne to remember that we remember these would be Mazes out of which we should not be able to deliuer our selues This treatise then is most hard especially to one not greatly conuersant in praiere 4. We take not here the word PRAIER for the onely praier or demaund of any good thing pouered out by the faithfull before God as S. BASILE calles it but with S. BONAVENTVRE saying that Praier generally speaking comprehendes all the acts of contemplation or with S. GREGORIE Nissene teaching that praier is an entertainement or conuersation of the soule with God or else with S. CHRYSOSTOME assuring vs that Praier is a discourse with the diuine Magestie or finally with S. AVGVSTINE and S. DAMASCENE terming Praier an ascent or raising of the soule to God And if Praier be a speach discourse or conuersation of the soule with God by it then we speake to God and he againe speakes to vs we aspire to him and repose in him and he mutually inspires vs and reposeth in vs. 5. But of what doe we discourse in Praier what is the subiect of our entertainement THEO we speake of God onely for of what can Loue discourse and talke but of the well-beloued and therefore Praier and mysticall Diuinitie are one same thing It is called Diuinitie because as speculatiue Diuinitie hath God for its obiect so this speakes onely of God yet with three differences for 1. that treates of God as God but this speakes of God as soueraignely amiable that is that aimes at the Diuinitie of the supreame Goodnesse aÌ„d this at the supreame Goodnesse of the Diuinitie 2. the speculatiue treats of God with men and amongst men the mysticall speakes of God with God and in God himselfe 3. the Speculatiue tends to the knowledge of God and the mysticall to the loue of God so that that makes her schollers knowing learned and Diuins but this makes hers become ferueÌ„t and affectionate louers of God and PHILOTHEES OR THEOPHILES 6. Now it is called mysticall for that its conuersatioÌ„ is altogether secrete and there is nothing saied in it betwixt God and the soule saue onely from heart to heart by a communication in communicable to all but themselues Louers language is so particular to them selues that none but theÌ„selues vnderstand ir I sleepe saied the holy Spouse and my heart watcheth Ah harke how my well-beloued speakes vnto me Who would haue gessed that this Spouse being a sleepe could yet talke with her Spouse but where loue raignes the noise of exteriour words is not necessarie nor the helpe of sense to entertaine and mutually to heare one another In fine Praier and mysticall Diuinitie is no other thing then a conuersation in which the soule doth louingly discourse with God touching his most amiable goodnesse to be vnited and ioyned to it 7. Praier is a Manna in regard of the infinitie of amiable tastes and precious delightes which it giues to such as vse it but it is secrete because it falls before the light of any science in the MENTALL SOLITVDE where one onely soule treates with one onely
forsaketh flesh and blood to be vnited to her Beloued Now it is the most violent effect that a loue worketh in a soule and which requires a great precedent puritie from all such affections as may detaine the soule prisoner either to the world or to the bodie so that like as fire hauing by little and little seperated the Essenâ—e from its masse and wholy purified it at length it also driues out the QVINT-ESSENCE euen so holy Loue hauing retired mans heart from all fantasies inclinatioÌ„s and assions as farre fourth as may be doth at length vrge the soule out to the end that by that passage pretious in the sight of God she might passe to eternall glorie 2. The great S. FRANCIS who in the matter of heauenly loue comes still before myne eyes could not possibly escape dying by loue by reason of the manifould and great langours Extasies and tranâ—es which his loue to God who had exposed him to the whole worlds view as a MIRACLE OF LOVE would not onely haue him die for loue but euen of Loue. For consider I beseech you his death Perceiuing himselfe vpon the point of his departure he caused himselfe to be laied naked vpon the ground where hauing receiued a habite for God's sake which they put on him he made a speach to his bretheren encouraging them to loue and feare God and his Church made our Sauiours passioÌ„ be red and then with an extreame feruour began the 141. Psalme With my voice I haue cried to our Lord with my voice I haue Praied to our Lord and hauing pronounced these last words o Lord bring forth my soule out prison that I may praise thy holy name the iust expect me till thou reward me he died the 45. yeare of his age Who sees not I besseech you THEO that the Seraphicall man who had so instantly desired to be martyred and to die for loue died in the end of loue as in another place I haue explicated 3. S. MAGDALEN hauing for the space of 30. yeares liued in a caue which is yet to be seene in PROVINCE rauished seuen times a day and borne vp in the aire by Angels as though it had bene to sing the seuen Canonicall houres in their Quire in the end vpon a Soneday she came to Church where her deare Bishop S. Maximinus finding her in contemplation her eyes full of teares and her armes stretched out he communicated her and soone after she deliuered vp her blessed soule who once a gaine for good and all went to her Sauiours feete to enioye the BETTER â—Aâ—â— which she had already made choice off neare belowe 4. S. BASILE had contracted a strict friendshipe with a Phisition a Iewe by nation and religion with intention to bring him to the faith of IESVS CHRIST which neuerthelesse he could not effect till such time as decaied by youth old age and labours being vpon the point of dying he enquired of the Phisition what opinion he had of him coniuring him to speake freely which the Phisition refused not but feeling his pulse told him there was no remedie quoth he before the Sunne let you will depart this life But what will you saie replied the patient if to morrow I shall be aliue I will become Christian I promisse you laied the Phisition With this the Saint praied to God and obtained a prolongation of his owne temporall life for the good of his Phisitions spirituall life who hauing seene this Miracle was conuerted and S. Basile rysing couragiously out of his bed went to the Church and baptised him with all his Familie then being returned to his chamber and gotten to bed after he had passed a good space with our Sauiour in Praier he holily exhorted the assistants to serue God with their whole heart and finally seeing the Angels approch pronouncing with an extreame delight these words ô God I recommend vnto thee my soule and restore it into thy hands he died But the poore conuerted Phisition seeing him thus deceased colling him and melting into teares vpon him ô great Seruant of God Basile quoth he indeede if thou hadst list thou had'st no more died to day then yesterday Who doth not see that this death was wholy froÌ„ loue And the Blessed S. Teresa reuealed after her death that she died with an impetuous assault of loue Which had bene so violent that nature not able to support it the soule departed towards the beloued obiect of her loue A wonderfull historie of the death of a gentleman who died of loue vpon the Mount-Oliuet CHAPTER XII 1. BEsides that which hath bene saied I haue light vpoÌ„ a historie which being extreamly admirable is yet more credible to sacred Louers since as the holy Apostle saieth Charitie doth easily beleeue all things that is she doth not easily suspect one of lying and vnlesse there be signes of apparent deceite in that which is proposed she makes no difficultie to beleeue it but especially when they are things which doe exalt and magnifie God's loue towards man or man's loue towards God because Charitie being the Soueraigne Qâ—eene of vertues following the manner of a Princâ—sse who takes coÌ„teÌ„t in things that are for the renowne of her Empire and dominion And beit the relation I am to make be neither so much diuulged nor confirmed as the greatnesse of the miracle which it containes would require yet is it not therefore voyde of truth for as S. Augustine saieth excellently well scarcely can we know miracles though most famous euen in the places where they are wrought and euen though such as haue seene them relates them we haue difficultie to giuâ— credit vnto them yet are they no lesse true for all this and in matter of Religion well borne soules take more delight to beleeue those things which containe difficultie and admiration 2. A valiant illustrious and vertuous knight went vpon a time beyond â—ee into Palestin to visit the holy Land where our Sauiour performed the work of our Redemption and to begin this holy exercise worthily he first of all confessed and communicated deuotely immediatly after went straight to Nazareth where the Angell announced vnto the most Sacred virgin the Blessed Incarnation and where the most adorable conception of the Eternall word was finished and there this worthy Pilgrime set himselfe to the contemplation of the heauenly Bounâ— is depth who daigned to put on mans nature to recouer him from perdition from thence he passed to Bethleem the place of the Natiuitie where it is not to be spokeÌ„ what an abundance of teares he poured forth in contemplation of those wherewith the Sonne of God the virgins little babe had watered that holy stable kissing and rekissing a thousand times that sacred earth and licking the dust vpon which the prime infancie of the Diuine child was receiued in Bethleem He went into Berthabara and from thence to that little place in Bethania where calling to mind that our Sauiour was there vnuested to be baptised he also
Maiestie then our crucified Maister 's crowne of thornes his scepter of a Reed his robe of scorne which they put vpon him and the Throne of his Crosse vpon which the sacred Louers had more content ioye glorie and felicitie then euer Salomon had in his Iuerie Throne 5. So is Loue often times represented by the Pomegranate which taking proprieties from the Pome-granate-tree may be saied to be it's vertue as also the gift thereof which out of Loue it offers to man and its fruit sith that it is eaten to refresh mâ—ns taste and finally it is as it were its glorie and Beatitude bearing the crowne and diademe How diuine Loue makes vse of all the passions and affections of the soule and reduceth them to her obedience CHAPTER XX. 1. Loue is the life of our heart and as the couÌ„terpoise giues motioÌ„ to all the moueable parts of a cloke so doth Loue giue all the motioÌ„ the soule hath All our affections follow our Loue and according to it we desire we reioyce we hope we dispaire we feare we take heart we hate we flie we sorrow we fall into choler we triuÌ„phe Doe not we see men who haue giuen vp their heart as a prey to the base and abiect Loue of women that they haue no desires but according to this Loue they take no pleasure but in it they neither hope nor dispaire but for this subiect they neither dread nor enterprise any thing but for it they are neither disgusted with nor flie from any thing saue that which doth diuert them from this they are onely troubled at that which doth depriue them of it they are neuer angrie but out of iealousie neuer glorie but in this infamie 2. The like may be saied of couetous misers and glorie-hunters for they become slaues to that which they loue and haue neither heart in their breast nor soule in their hearts nor affections in their soules saue onely for this 3. When therefore Diuine Loue doth raigne in our hearts it doth in a kinglike manner bring vnder all the other Loues and consequently all the affections thereof for as much as naturally they follow loue this done it doth tame sensuall Loue and bringing it to subiection all the sensuall passions doe follow it For in a word this sacred Loue is the soueraigne water of which our Sauiour saied he that shall drinke of this water shall neuer thirst No surely THEO he that hath Loue in a certaine abundance he shall neither haue desire dread hope courage nor ioye but for God and all his motions shall be quieted in this onely celestiall Loue. 4. Diuine Loue and selfe loue are in our hearts as IACOB and ESAV in the wombe of REBECCA there is a great antipathie and opposition betwixt them and doe continually presse on vpon another in the heart Whereat the poore soule giues an outcrie alas wretch that I am who will deliuer me out of the bodie of this death that the onely Loue of God may peaceably raigne in me Howbeit we must take courage putting our trust in our Sauiours word who promiseth in commaÌ„ding and commandeth in promising victorie to his Loue and he seemes to saie to the soule that which he caused to be saied to REBECCA two nations are in thy woÌ„be and there shall be a diuision betwixt two people in thy intrailles the one shall surmount the other and the elder shall serue the younger for as Rebecca who had onely two childreÌ„ in her wombe whereof two people were to descend was saied to haue two nations in her wombe so the soule hauing two loues in her heart hath consequently two great troopes of motions affections and passions and as Rebecca her two children by the contrarietie of their motions made her suffer great conuulsions and paines of the wombe so the two loues of our soulâ— puts our heart as it were into trauaill And as it was saied of Rebeccas two children that the elder should serue the younger so was it ordained that of these two loues of our heart the sensuall should serue the spirituall that is selfe-loue should serue the Loue of God 5. But when was it that the eldest of thaâ— people which was in Rebecca's wombe serued thâ— youÌ„gest Surely it was onely wheÌ„ Dauid ouercame the Idumeans in warre and that Salomon ouerruled them in time of Peace When shall it then be that sensuall loue shall serue Diuine Loue It shall then be THEO when armed Loue being arriued at Zeale shall by mortification subiect our passions but principally when aboue in heauen Blessed Loue shall possesse our whole soule in peace 6. Now the meanes whereby Diuine Loue is to subiect the sensuall appetite is like to that which IACOB vsed when for a good presage and beginning of that which was afterwards to come to passe ESAV coÌ„ming out of his mothers wombe IACOB held him by the foote as it were to trample vpon to suppliant and keepe him vnder or as they saie to keepe him tyed by the foote after the manner of a Hauke such as ESAV was in qualilitie of a hunter and as he was a fierce man For so holy Loue perceiuing some passion or naturall affection to rise in vs must presently catch it by thâ— foote and order it to his seruice But what is it to saie take it by the foote it is to bind it and bring it downe to a râ—solution of seruing God Doe not you see how Moyses transformed the serpent into a rod by taking her onely by the tayle euen so by bestowing a good end vpon our passions they turne vertues 7. But what methode are we then to obserue to order our affections and passions to the seruice of Diuine Loue Methodicall Phisitions haue alwayes this APHORISIME in their mouthes Tâ—at contraries are cured by their coÌ„traries tâ—â— Alchymists haue another famous sentence contrarie to this Saying that like are cured by their like Howsoeuer we are certaine that two contrarie things make the light of the starrs disappeare to wit the obscuritie of nightly foggues and the greater light of the sunne and in like manner we doe fight against passions either by opposing contrarie passions or greater affections of the same sort If any vaine hope present it selfe vnto me my way of resistance may be by opposing vnto it this iust discouragement O senselesse man vpoÌ„ what foundatioÌ„ dost thou build this hope dost thou not see that the great one to whom thou dost aspire is as neere to his graue as thy selfe Dost thou not know the instabilitie weaknesse and imbecillitie of the spirit of man To day his heart in whom thy pretentions are is thyne to morrow another carries it away from thee vpon what then is this hope grounded Another way of resisting this hope is to oppose to it another more strong hope in God ô my Soule for it is he that deliuers thy feete out of the snares neuer did any hope in him and was confounded throwe thy thoughtes vpon eternall and permanent
might inflame and lighten the children of light where might I better place it then amongst your Lilies Lilies where the Sonne of Iustice the splendour and candour of the eternall Light did so soueraignely recreate himselfe that he theâ—e practised the delightes of the ineffable Loue of his heart towards vs O well beloued mother of the well-be loued ô well beloued spouse of the well-beloued prone layed at thy sacred feete who bore my Sauiour I vow dedicate and consecrate this little worke of Loue to the immence greatnesse of thy Loue ah I coniure thee by the heart of thy sweete IESVS king of hearts whom thyne adore animate my heart and all theirs who shall reade this writing of thy all puissant fauour with the Holy Ghost so that hence-fourth we may offer vp in holocaust all our affections to his Diuine goodnesse to liue dy and reuiue for euer in the flames of this heauenly fire which our Sauiour thy sonne hath so much laboured to kindle in our hearts that he neuer ceased to labour and trauell therin euen vnto death and death of the Crosse VIVE IESVS THE PREFACE OF THE AVTHOVR THE Holy Ghost teacheth that the lipps of the heauenly Spouse which is the CHVRCH reseÌ„bles scarlate and the honie combe whence honie distilleth to th' end that euery one may know that the doctrine which she announceth consisteth of sacred Loue of a more faire vermilioÌ„ then Scarlate by reason of the Spouse his blood wherin she is dyed more sweete then honie by reason of the Beloued his sweetenesse who crownes her with delightes So this heauenly Spouse when he thought good to giue an entrie to the publication of his Law streamed downe a number of firie tongues vpon the Assemblie of his disciples which he had deputed to this office sufficiently intimating therby that the preaching of the Ghospell was wholy designed to the inflaming of hearts Propose vnto your selues a fine done amidst the Sunne rayes you shall see her change into so many diuers colours as you behold her diuersly because her feathers are so apt to receiue the light that the sunne spreading his spleÌ„dour amongst theÌ„ there is caused a number of transparences which bring forth a great varietie of alterations and mutations of colours but colours so agreeable to the eye that they put downe all other colours yea the enamell of richest iewells colours that are glittering and so quaintly guilt that the gold giues them more life In consideration hereof the Royall Prophet saied vnto the Israelites Although affliction rudly dâ—ght your face Yet shall your hew henceforth to men appeare As pigions plumes when siluer 's trembling grace And burnisht gold doe make their shine more cleare Truly the Church is adorned with an incomparable varietie of excellent documents sermons Treatises Spirituall bookes all very comely and pleasant to the sight by reason of the admirable mixture which the sunne of Iustice makes of his Diuine wisdome with the tongues of his Pastours which are their Penns and with their Penns which sometimes they vse in lieu of their toÌ„gues and doe compose the rich plumes of this mysticall doue But amongst all the diuers colours of the doctrine which she doth publish the fine gold of holy Charitie is especially discouered who makes herselfe be gloriously enteruiewed gilding all the sciences of Saints with her incomparable luster and raysing them aboue all other Sciences All is to Loue in Loue for Loue and from Loue in the holy Church But as we are not ignorant that all the light of the day proceeds from the Sunne and yet doe ordinarily saie that the Sunne shines not saue onely when it doth openly send out its beames here or there In like manner though all Christian doctrine consist of sacred Loue yet doe we not indistinctly honour all Diuinitie with the title of DIVINE LOVE but onely those parts of it which doe contemplate the birth nature properties and operations thereof in particular Now it is certaine that diuers writers haue admirably handled this subiect Aboue all the rest those auncient Fathers who as they did louingly serue God so did they speake diuinely of his Loue. O what a pleasure it is to heare S. PAVLE speake of heauenly things who learn't them euen in Heauen it selfe And how good a thing it is to see those soules that were nurced in the bosome of Loue write of its sweetenesse I For this reason those amongst the schoole men that discoursed the most and the best of it did also most excell in pietie S. THOMAS made a Treatise of it worthy of S. THOMAS S. BONAVENTVRE and Blessed Denis the Carthusian haue made diuers most excellent ones of it vnder sundrie titles and as for Iohn Garson Chancelour of the vniuersitie of Pâ—â—lâ— Sixtus Senensis speaks of him in this sort He hath so worthily discoursed vpon fiftie properties of Diuine Loue which are drawen here and there out of the Canticles that he alone may seeme to haue hit the number of the affections of Diuine Loue. Verily he was a man exceeding learned iudicious and deuote Yet that we might know that this kind of writing is performed with more felicitie by the deuotion of Louers then by the learning of the learned it hath pleased the Holy Ghost that diuers womeÌ„ should worke wonders in this kind Who did euer better expresse the heauenly passions of heauenly Loue then S. CATHARINE of Genua S. ANGELA of Folligni S. CATHARINE of Sienna S. MATILDA In our age also diuers haue wrote vpon this subiect whose workes I haue not had leasure to read distinctly but onely here and there so farre forth as was requisite to discouer whether this might yet find place Father Lewes of Granado that great Doctour of pietie left a treatise of the Loue of God in his Memoriall which is sufficiently commended in saying it is his Stella a Franciscan made a very affectiue one and profitable for Praier Christoph Fonceca an Austine put out yet a greater wherein he hath many excellent things Father Richeome of the Societie hath also published a booke vnder the title of the Art of louing God by his Creaturs and this Authour is so amiable in his person and in his singular writings that one cannot doubt but he is yet more amiable by writing of Loue it selfe Father Iohh of IESVS MARIA a discalced Carmelite composed a little booke which is also called the Art of louing God which is much esteemed The great and famous Cardinall Bellermine did also a while agoe giue into light a little booke intituled The little Ladder to ascend vnto God by his creaturs which cannot be but admirable coÌ„ming from so deuote a soule and so learned a pen which hath wrote so much and so learnedly in the Church her behalfe I will saie nothing of Parenetique that floode of Eloquence who flotes at this houre through all France in the multitude and varietie of his sermons and noble writings the straight spirituall consanguinitie which my soule
Philothie and both of them much different from that which I vsed in the defence of the Crosse know that in nine-teene yeares one learnes and vnlearnes many things that the language of the warrs differs from that of Peace and that a man vseth one manner of speach to young Prentises an other to old iorneymen My purpose is here to speake to soules that are aduanced in deuotion for you must know that we haue in this towne a congregation of young maides and widowes who being retired from the world doe liue vnanimously in God's seruice vnder the protection of his most holy mother and as their pietie and puritie haue often times giuen me great consolations so haue I striuen to returne them the like by a frequent distribution of the holy word which I haue announced vnto them as well in publike sermons as in spirituall conferences yea and that continually in the presence of diuerse Religious men and people of great pietie whence I was often to treate of the most delicate feelings of pietie passing beyond that which I had saied vnto Philothie And I owe a good part of that which now I communicate vnto thee to this blessed assemblie because she that is the mother of them and doth rule knowing that I was writing vpon this subiect and yet that scarcely was I able to accomplish it without Gods very speciall assistance and their continuall sollicitation she tooke a continuall care to praie and make me be praied for to this end and holily coniured me to gather together all the odde ends of leasure which she iudged might be spared here and there from the presse of my incumbrances and to employe them in this And because I beare a great respect to this good soule she had God knowes no little power to animate myne in this occasion I began indeede long agoe to thinke of writing of holy Loue but that thought came farre short of that which this occasion caused to be produced an occasion which I declare vnto you so nakedly and sincerely to the imitation of the Auncients that you may know that I wite onely vpon occasion and that I may find you more fauorable The Pagans held that Phidras neuer represented any thing so perfectly as the DIVINITIE nor Apelles as Alexander One is not alwayes alike happie If I fall short in this Treatise let thy goodnesse flie home and God blesse thy reading To this end I haue dedicated this worke to the Mother of dilection and to the Father of cordiall Loue as I dedicated the Introduction to the Heauenly Child who is the Sauiour of Louers and the Loue of the saued Certes as women while they are strong and able to bring forth their children with ease choose commonly their worldly friends to be their Godfathers But when their feeblenesse and indisposition makes their deliuerie difficile and dangerous they inuoke the Saints of Heauen and vow to make their children be christned by some poore bodie or by some deuote person in the name of S. IOSEPH S. FRANCIS OF ASSICIA S. FRANCIS OF PAVLA S. NICHOLAS or to some other of the Blessed who may obtaine of God their safe deliuerie and that the child may be borne aliue So I while I was not yet Bishope hauing more leasure and lesse apprehension to write I dedicated my little works to Princes of the earth but now being ouercharged with my charge and hauing a thousand impediments I consecrate all to the Princes of Heauen to th' end they may obtaine for me the ligâ—t which is requisite and that if so it may pleaâ— the Diuine will these my writings may haue a birth profitable and fruitfull Thus my deare Reader I beseech God to blesse thee and to enrich thee with his loue Meane while from my very heart I submit all my writings my words and actions to the correction of the most holy Catholike Apostolike and Romaine Church knowing that she is the Pillar and soliditie of truth wherein she caÌ„ neither be deceiued nor deceiue vs and that none caÌ„ haue God for his Father who will not haue this Church for his Mother ANNESSâ— the day of the most louing Apostles S. PETER and S. PAVLE 1616. Blessed be God THE TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS CONTAINED IN this Treatise The first number shewes the Chapter The second the Page THE TABLE OF THE FIRâ—T BOOKE CONTAâ—NING A PREparatioâ— to the whole Treatise THat for thâ— beautie of humane nature God gaue the â—â—uernment of all the faculties of the soule 〈◊〉 the will Chap. 1. pag. 1. How the wâ—â— diuersly gouernes the powers of the soule Chap. 2. pag. 4. How the will gouerns the â—suall appetite Cha. 3. pag. 7. That loue rules ouer all iâ— affections and passions yea gouerns the will albeâ—â— the will hath also a dominion ouer it Chap. 4. pag. 12. Of the affections of the will Chap. 5. pag. 15 How the Loue of God doth rule ouer other Loues Chap. 6. pag. 19 A description of Loue in generall chap 7. pag. 22 VVhat that coÌ„ueniencie is which doth excite loue ch 8. 28 That loue tends to vnion chap. 9. pag. 32 That the vnion which loue pretends is spirituall chap. 10. pag. 35. That there are two portions in the soule and how chap. 11. pag. 44. That in these 2 portions of the soule there are found 4. different degrees of reason chap. 12. pag. 49 The difference of loues chap. 13. pag. 53 That charitie ought to be named loue chap. 14. p. 55 Of the conueniencie betwixt God and man ch 15. p. 57 That we haue a naturall inclination to loue God aboue all things chap. 16. 61 That we haue not naturally the power to loue God aboue all things chap. 17. 64 That the naturall inclination which we haue to loue God is not without profit chap. 18. 67 THE TABLE OF THE Second Booke THE HISTORIE OF THE GENEration or heauenly birth of Diuine Loue. THat the diuine perfections are but one onely yet an infinite perfection chap. 1. pag 71 Touching the diuine prouidence in generall chap. 3. p. 79 Of the supernaturall prouidence which God vseth towards reasonable creaturs chap. 4. pag. 85 That the heauenly prouidence hath prouided man of a most abundant Redemption cha 5. 90 Of certaine speciall fauours exercised by the diuine prouidence in the Redemption of man chap. 6. 93 How admirable the diuine prouidence is in the diuersitie of graces giuen to men chap. 7. 97 How much God desires we should loue him chap. 8. 100 How the eternall loue of God doth preuent our hearts with his inspirations to th' end we might loue him chap. 9. pag. 104 How we often times repulse the inspiration and refuse to loue chap. 10. 108 That the diuine bountie's will is that we should haue a most excellent loue chap. 11. 112 That diuine inspirations leaue vs in our libertie to follow or repulse them chap. 12. 116 Of the first feelings of Loue which diuine inspirations cause in the soule before she yet receiue
these Motiōs were Affections of the Intellectuall or Resonable appetite not Passions of the Sensuall 2. How often doe we feele Passions in the sensuall appetite of desires contrarie to the Affectiōs which at the same time we perceiue in the Reasonable appetite or will The young man mentioned by S. HIEROME did fairely with his teeth cut of his tongue and spet it in the face of that accursed woman which inflamed him to carnalitie did he not testifie therby an extreame Affection of Displeasure in his will contrarie to that Passion of Pleasure which by force she made him feele in his Concupistible or sensible Appetite How often doe we tremble amidst the dangers to which our will brought vs and makes vs remaine How often doe we Hate the Pleasure wherin the sensuall appetite delightes it selfe and Loue the Spirituall good wherin it is disgusted In this confisteth the warre which we daiely experience betwixt the Spirit and Flesh betwixt our exteriour Man which depends of Sense and our interiour which depends of Reason betwixt the old Adam which followeth the appetits of his EVE or Concupiscence and the new Adam which doth second heauenly wisdome and holy Reason 3. The STOIKES as S. AVGVSTINE deliuers denying that a wise-man hath Passions doe confesse notwithstanding as may Appeare that he had affections which they termed EVPATHIES or Good Passions or else CONSTANCIES with CICERO for they saied the wiseman did not Couit but will onely was not Light of heart but Setledly ioyefull that he had no Feare but onely a Foresight and Precaution so that he was not moued but by Reason and according to Reason for this cause they peremptorily denied that a wise-man could euer be Sorrowfull that being caused by present Euill whereas no Euill can befale a wise-man syth that no man is hurt but by himselfe following their MAXIME And certes THEOTIME they did not amisse to holde that EVPATHIES or Good Affections reside in the Reasonable part of man but they erred much in auerring that there were no Passions in the Sensitiue part and that Sorrow did not touch a wisemans heart For omitting what they them selues had experienced in this behalfe as hath bene touched by this meanes they might conclud that wisdome might depriue one of Mercy which is a vertuous sorrow touching our hearts and working thē to a desire to deliuer our neighbour from the euill which he endureth Nor doth EPICTETES the best mā amongst the Pagās follow this errour that Passions doe not make Insurrections in a wiseman as S. AVGVSTINE doth witnesse showing further that the dissension of STOIKES and other Philosophers about this subiect was but a meere dissension in words and strife in language 4. Now the Affections which we feele in Our reasonable part are more or lesse Noble and Spirituall according as their Obiect is more or lesse Sublime and as they are in a more eminent degree of the mind for some of them proceede from the Discourse which we make following the Experience of Sense others are formed by a Discourse drawne from Humane Sciences others rising from a Discourse which is made according to Faith and finally there are some which haue their Origin from the simple Taste and Repose which the Soule hath in Veritie and the will of God The first are called Naturall affections For who is he that doth not naturally desire Health commoditie of Meate Drinke and Cloth Sweete and Agreeable conuersation The second are named Reasonable as being altogether founded vpon the spirituall Knowledge of Reason by which our will is excited to seeke the Tranquillitie of the minde morall Vertues true Honour a Philosophicall Contemplation of heauenly things The third sort of Affections are termed Christian because they issue from Discourse deriued from the Doctrine of our Sauiour Christ which causeth in vs a Loue of voluntarie Prouertie perfect Chastitie the Glorie of Heauen But the Affections of the supreeme degree are instiled Diuine and Supernaturall because God himselfe doth poure them into our hearts and they ayme at and tend to him without the helpe of any Discourse or naturall Light as it is easie to conceiue and we will hereafter speak of the Restes and gustes which are practised in the Sanctuarie of the soule And these supernaturall Affections are principally three the Loue of the mind towards the beautie of the mysteries of faith a Loue towards the profit of things promised vs in the other life and a Loue towards the soueraigne Bountie of the thrice holy and eternall Diuinitie How the Loue of God doth rule ouer other Loues CHAPTER VI. 1. THe will doth gouerne all the other faculties of mans Soule yet is she gouerned by her Loue which makes her such as he is Now of all loues that of God holds the Septer and hath a commanding authoritie so inseparably vnited vnto him and so proper to his nature that if he be not Maister he ceaseth to be and perisheth 2. ISMAEL was not Coheire with Isaac his younger brother ESAV was appointed to be his younger brothers seruant IOSEPH was not onely honoured by his brethren but euen by his Father yea and his Mother also in the person of BENIAMIN as by dreames in his youth he had foreseene Certes it is not voide of mysterie that the youngest of these brethren bore away the aduantage from the eldest Diuine Loue is truely the last begotten of all the Affections of mans heart For as the Apostle saieth that which is Naturall is first and that which is spirituall is after But this last borne inherites all the authoritie and Selfe-loue as an other ESAV is deputed to his seruice and not onely all the other motions of the Soule as his brethren doe adore and are subiect vnto him but also the Vnderstanding and will which are to him as Father and Mother All is subiect to this heauenlie Loue who will either be King or nothing who cannot liue but reigne nor reigne if not in a soueraigne manner 3. ISAAC IACOB and IOSEPH were supernaturall children For their Mothers SARA REBECCA and RACHEL being sterill by nature conceiued them by the grace of the Diuine Bountie and for this cause they were established Maisters of their brethren so diuine Loue is a child of miracle syth that mans will cannot conceiue it if it be not poured into our hearts by the holy Ghost And as supernaturall it must preside and reigne ouer all the affections yea euen ouer the Vnderstanding and will 4. And be it there are other supernaturall motions in the soule Feare Pietie Force Hope as ISAAC and BENIAMIN were Supernaturall children of RACHEL and REBECCA yet is diuine Loue still Maister Heire and Superiour as being the Sonne of promise syth that in vertue of it heauen is promised to man Saluation is showen to Faith prepared for Hope but is giuen onely to Charitie Faith points out the way to the Land of Promisse as a Pillar of cloudes and fire to wit CLEARDARKE Hope doth feede vs with
into a more noble and eminent estate they are as much Angels by the operation of their soule as men by the substance of their Nature and are either to be instiled Humane Angels or Angelicall men On the contrarie side those that enticed with sensuall pleasurs giue them selues ouer to the enioying of them descend from their middle condition to the lowest of brute Beasts and merit as well to be called Brutall by their operations as men by Nature vnhappie to be out of themselues for no better end then to enter into a condition infinitly vnworthy of their naturall estate and calling 7. Now according as the Extasie is more great either aboue or below vs by so much it doth more hinder the soule to returne to her selfe and produce contrarie operations to the Extasie in which she is so those Angelicall men which are rauished in God and heauenly things during their Extasie doe quite loose the vse of the attention of sense motion and all exteriour actions because their soule to th' end she may applie her vertue and actiuitie more entirely and attentiuely to that diuine obiect doth retire and withdraw it from all her other faculties wholy to deturne them from thence And in like manner brutish men rauished by sensuall pleasure especially by that of sense in generall doe wholy loose the vse of reason and vnderstanding because their miserable soules to haue a more entire and attentiue gust of their brutall obiect doe diuert themselues from spirituall operations to giue themselues with more vigour to brutall and bestiall ones mystically imitating herein the one HELIAS taken vp in the fierie Chariot to the Cōpanie of Angels th' other NABVCHODONOSOR debased to the ranke of brute beasts 8. Hence then I saie that when the Soule practiseth Loue by actions of sense so that she is carried below her selfe it is impossible that therby the exercise of her Superiour loue should not be so much the more weakned In such sort that true and Essentiall loue is so farre from being ayeded and conserued by the vnion to which Sensuall loue tends that it is impared dissipated and perisheth therby IACOBS Oxen plowed the ground as long as the idle Asses fed by them eating the pasture dew to the labouring Oxen. As long as the Intellectuall part of our soule is employed in honest vertuous loue vpon any obiect worthy therof it comes to passe often times that the senses and faculties of the inferiour part tend to their proper vnion and graise thervpon though Vnion be onely due vnto the Heart and Soule which alone is able to produce true and Substantiall Loue. 9. HELISEVS hauing cured NAMAN the SYRIAN pleasing himselfe in the obligation he had put vpon him refused the gold money and other moueables which were offered him But his trustlesse seruant IESSE running after him demanded and tooke against his Maister pleasure that which he had refused Intellectuall ād cordiall loue which either is or should be the Maister of our Heart doth refuse all sorts of corporall and Sensible Vnions and is contented with good-will onely but the powers of the Sensitiue part which are or should be the Hand-maids of the Spirit doe demande seeke after and take that which reason refused and without her leaue doth make after their abiect seruile and dishonorable loues as another IESSE violating the puritie of their Maisters intention to wit the Spirit And in what proportion the Soule doth conuert her selfe to such grosse Vnions in the same she doth diuert her selfe from the delicate Intellectuall and cordiall vnion 10. You see then planely THEOTIME that these Vnions which tend to Sensible Complacence and passions are so farre from producing or conseruing Loue that they doe greatly hurt and render it extreamely weake So when the incestuous AMMON who languished and died as it were in the Loue of THAMAR had once arriued at these Sēsuall and Brutall Vnions his heart was so robbed of Cordiall loue that neuer after he could endure to see her but with indignitie pushed her out violating no lesse cruelly the Right of loue then he had impudently stained that of blood 11. Basill Rosmarie Marigouls Isope Cloues Camimell Nutmeygs Lemmans and Muske put together and incorporated doe yeeld a truly delightfull odour by the mixture of their good smells yet not nigh that of the water which is thence distilled in which the sweetes of all these Ingredients squised from their bodies are mixed in a more excellent manner meeting to the making vp of a most perfect odour which doth penetrate the sense of smelling farre more liuely then it would if together with the waters the bodies of the Ingredients were found mingled and vnited So loue may be found in the Vnions of sensuall powers mixed with the Vnions of intellectuall powers but neuer so excellently as then when the sole Heart and Courage abstracted from all corporall affections vnited together doe purifie and Spiritualize Loue. For the sent of affections by such mixture is not onely sweeter and better but more liuely actiue and solide 12. True it is that many hauing rustike earthy and vile hearts doe put a rate vpon Loues as vpon pieces of gold where the most massiue and weightie are the best and most currant for so their opinion goes that Brutish loue is more strong because it is more violent and turbulent more solide because more grosse and terreane greater because more sensible and rough but contrariwise Loue is as fire which by how much more it's matter is delicate by so much the flames are more cleare and faire which cannot be better extinguihed then by depressing them and couering them with earth for in like manner by how much more abstract and spirituall the subiect of loue is by so much his actions are more liuely subsistent and permanent nor is there a more easie way to ruinate it then by prostituting it to vile and terreane actiōs The difference as S. GREGORIE saieth betwixt spirituall and corporall pleasurs is that corporall ones beget a desire before we obtaine them and being obtained a disgust but spirituall ones contrariwise bring disgust before we haue them and being had pleasure so that brutall loue which thinkes by the Vnion which he maketh with the Beloued to perfect and crowne his desires finding that to the contrarie he destroieth them in ending them is left in disgust of such Vnion Which moued the great Philosopher to saie that almost euery beast after the enioying of his most ardent and pressing corporall pleasure remaines sad mournefull and astonished as a Marchant who hauing fed him selfe with hope of great gaines doth finde his hopes frustrated and his barke engaiged in a rude Hauen whereas Intellectuall loue finding in the Vnion made with her obiect contentment passing his hopes accomplishing in the surplus his complacence he continewes it in vniting himselfe and continually doth further vnite himselfe in continuing it That there are two portions in the soule and how CHAPTER XII 1. VVE haue but
permit his iustice to vse this chastisement but exciting his compassion prouokes him to reclaime vs from our miserie which he doth by sending vnto vs the fauorable wind of his most holy inspiration which blowing vpon our hearts with a sweete violence doth sease and stirre them aduancing our thoughtes and eleuating our affections into the ayre of heauenly loue 6. Now this first stirring or motion which God causeth in our hearts to incite them to their owne good is effected indeede in vs but not by vs for it cometh vnexpectedly before we either haue or could haue thought of it seeing we haue not any sufficiencie of our selues as of our selues to thinke any thing necessarie to our saluatiō but all our abilitie is frō God who did not onely loue vs before we were but euen to th' end we might be and become Saincts For which cause he doth preuēt vs with the blessings of his fatherly sweetenesse and doth excitate our hearts to bring them to a holy repentance and conuersion See I pray you THEOT the poore Apostle stupid with sinne in the heauie night of his Maisters passion he did no more thinke to sorrow for his sinne then though he had neuer knowen his heauenly Sauiour and as a miserable Apode fallen vpon the ground had neuer risen had not the Cocke as an instrument of the diuine prouidence struke his eares with his voice at the same instante in which his sweete Redeemour casting vpō him a gracious looke as a dart of loue transpearced his heart of loue whence afterwards did issue water in such abundance as did frō the auncient Rocke smot by Moyses in the Desert But looke againe and see this holy Apostle sleeping in Herods Prison chained in two chaines he is there in qualitie of a Martyr and neuerthelesse he representeth poore man sleeping enuironed with sinne prisoner and slaue to Satan Alas who will deliuer him The Angell descends from heauen and striking vpon the great emprisoned Peters side awakes him saying vp arise and the inspiration comes from heauen as an Angell and hitting right vpon the poore sinners heart stirs him vp that he might rise from his iniquitie Is it not true then ô my deare THEOT that this first motion and touch which the soule perceiueth when God preuenting it with loue doth awake and excite it to forsake sinne returning vnto him and not onely the first touch but euen the whole awaking is done in vs and for vs but not by vs We are awaked but not of our selues it was the inspiration which wakened vs and to make vs rise did moue and shake vs I slept saieth the deuote Spouse and my SPOVSE who is my Heart watched Ah! see him heare how he awakes me calling me by the title of our loues I know well by his voice t' is he It is at vnawares ād vnexpectedly that God doth call and stirs vs vp by his holy inspiration And in this beginning of grace we doe nothing but feele the touch which God giues in vs indeede as S. BERRARD saieth but without our concourse How we often times repulse the inspiration and refuse to loue CHAPTER X. 1. VVoe be to thee COROSAIN woe be to thee BETHSAIDA For if in TIRIA and SIDONIA the Miracles had bene done which were done in thee they had done penance in haire cloth and ashes t' is the word of God Harke I pray you THEOT how the inhabitants of COROSAIN and BETSAIDA instructed in the true Religiō and possessed of fauours that would euen haue conuerted the Pagans themselues remaine neuerthelesse obstinate neuer making vse therof but reiecting this holy light by an incomparable rebellion Certainely at the day of iudgment the NINIVITS and the Queene Saba will rise vp against the Iewes and will conuince them to be worthy of damnation For as touching the NINIVITS they being Idolatours and Barbarians at the voice of IONAS were conuerted and did penance And the Queene of SABA though engaged in the affairs of her kingdome yet hauing heard the renowne of SALOMONS wisdome she forsooke all to goe to heare him speake While the IEWES hearing with their eares the heauenly wisdome of the true SALOMON Sauiour of the world seeing with their eies his miracles touching with their hands his graces and benefits ceased not for all that to be hardned and to resist the grace which was profered them See then againe THEOT how they who had fewer drawings are brought to penance and those who had more remaine obdurate Those who had lesse occasion to come come to wisdomes schoole and those who had more sticke in their follie 2. Thus is the iudgment of comparison made as all the Doctours haue noted which can haue no foundation if it consist not in this that notwithstanding some haue had as many or more callings then others haue they denyed consent to God's mercy whereas others assisted with the like yea euen lesser helpes haue followed the inspiration betaking themselues to holy penance For how could one otherwise reasonably reproach the impenitent with their impenitencie by comparison to such as are conuerted 3. Certainly our Sauiour doth clearly shew and all Christians doe in simplicitie conceiue that in this iust iudgment the Iewes shall be condemned by comparison to the NINIVITS because those receiued many fauours and yet loued not much assistance and yet repented not these lesse fauour and yet loued much lesse assistance and yet sorrowed much 4. The great S. AVGVSTINE giues great light to this discourse by a passage of his in the 12. booke of the Citie of God 6. 7. 8. and 9. Chapter for though he haue there a particular reference to Angels yet so as that he makes a paritie in this pointe betwixt them and men 5. Now after he had in the sixt chapter put two men entirely equall in goodnesse and all things molested with the same temptation he presupposeth that the one could resist the other giue way to the enemy in the 9. chapter hauing proued that all the Angels were created in charitie auerring further as a thing probable that grace and charitie was equall in them all he makes a demand how it came to passe that some of them perseuerd and made progresse in goodnesse euen to the attaining of glorie others forsooke good to imbrace euill euen to damnation And he answeres that no other answere can be rendred then that the one companie perseuered by the grace of their Creatour the other of good which they were became bad by their owne onely will 6. But if it be true as S. THOMAS doth singularly well prooue that grace was diuersified in Angels with proportion and according to the varietie of their naturall giftes the Seraphins should haue had a grace incomparably more excellent then the simple Angels of the last Order How then happened it that some of the Seraphins yea euen the first of all according to the common and most probable opinion of the auncients did fall while an innumerable multitude of other Angels
Paraduenture she dreamed that as our Sauiour had often sleept in her bosome as a tender lampkin vpon his mothers flanke so she sleept in his pearced side as a WHITE DOVE in the caue of an assured rocke so that her sleepe was wholy like to an extasie according to the operation of the spirit though to the bodie it was a sweete and gracious rest and repose But if euer she dreamed as did the auncient Ioseph of her future greatenesse when in heauen she should be clothed with the Sunne crowned with starrs aÌ„d the moone at her feete that is wholy enuironed with her sonnes glorie crowned with that of the Saints and the world vnder her or else if as Iacob she saw the progresse and fruite of her sonnes Redemption for the loue of Angells and men THEO who could euer imagine the immensitie of so great delightes ô what confereÌ„ces with her deare child what deliciousnesse from euery side 5. But marke I pray you that I neither doe nor will saie that this so priuileged a Soule of the Mother of God was depriued of the vse of reason in her sleepe Many are of opinion that Salomon in that rare yea and true dreame in which he demanded and receiued the gift of incomparable wisdome did truely exercise his free-will by reason of the iudicious eloquence of the discourse he made of his choice full of discretion and the most excellent Praier which he vsed and all these without any mixture of impertinences or distractioÌ„s of mind But how much more reason is there that the mother of the true Salomon had the vse of reason in her sleepe that is to saie as Salomon himselfe made her speake that her heart watched while she slept Surely it was a farre greater maruell that S. IOHN had the exercise of reason in his mothers wombe And why then should we denie her a lesse for whom and to whom God did more fauours then either he hath or shall doe for all creaturs besides 6. To conclud as the precious stone Abeston doth by a perlelesse proprietie conserue for euer the fire which it hath conceiued So the virgin-Mothers heart remained perpetually inflamed with holy loue which she receiued pf her sonne yet with this difference that the Abestons fire as it cannot be extinguished so it cannot be augmeÌ„ted but the virgins sacred flames sith they could neither perish diminish nor remaine in the same estate neuer ceased to take vncredible encrease euen vnto heauen the place of their origine So true it is that this Mother is the Mother of FAIRE DILECTION that is as the most amiable so the most louing and as the most louing so the most beloued mother of this onely sonne who againe is the most amiable most louing and most beloued sonne of this onely Mother A Preparation to the discourse of the vnion of the Blessed with God CHAPTER IX 1. THe triumphant loue which the Blessed in heauen doe exercise consisteth in the finall vnuariable and eternall vnion of the soule with God But what is this vnion 2. By how much more agreeable and excellent obiects our senses meete withall by so much more ardently aÌ„d greedily they giue themselues to the fruition of them By how much more faire delightfull to the veiw and duely lightened they are by so much the eye doth more eagarly aÌ„d liuely behould them and by how much more sweete and pleasant voices or musicke are the attention of the eare is more drawen vnto them So that euery obiect doth exercise a puissant yet amiable violence vpon its proper senses a violence lesse or more strong according as the excellencie is lesse or greater prouided alwayes that it be proportionable to the capacitie of the SeÌ„se which desires to enioy it for the eye which doth please it selfe so much in light cannot yet support the extreamitie of it nor fixe it selfe vpon the sunne And be musicke neuer so sweete if loude and too nigh it doth importune and offend our eares TRVTH is the obiect of our vnderstanding and consequently takes no other content then to discouer and know the truth of things as TRVTH is more excellent so the vnderstanding doth applie it selfe more deliciously and attentiuely to the consideration of it What pleasure thinke you had these auncient Philosophers who had so excellent a knowledge of so many faire TRVTHES in nature Verily they reputed all pleasurs as nothing in comparison of their well beloued Philosophie for which some of them quitted honours others great riches others their countrie yea some there were who deliberatly pulled out their eyes depriuing themselues for euer of the fruition of the faire eÌ„d agreeable corporall light that with more libertie they might applie themselues to the consideration of the veritie of things by a spirituall light for so we reade of Democrites So delicious is the knowledge of truth Hence it was frequent with Aristotle that humane Felicitie and Beatitude coÌ„sisteth in wisdome which is the knowledge of eminent truth 3. But when our mind raised aboue naturall lights begins to see the sacred truthes of faith ô God THEO what ioy the soule melts with pleasure hearing the voice of her heauenly Spouse whom she finds more sweete and delicious theÌ„ the honie of all humane knowledges 4. God hath imprinted vpon all things created his trace gate or foote-steppes so that the knowledge we haue of his diuine Maiestie by creaturs seemes no other thing then God's trace and that in coÌ„parison of it Faith is a veiw of the very face of the diuine Maiestie which we doe not yet see in the cleare day of Glorie but as it were in the breake of day as it happened to IACOB neere vnto the Torrent IABOC for though he saw not the Angell with whom he wrastled saue in the weake light of the day breake yet rauished with contentment he ceased not to crie I haue seene the Almightie face to face and my soule hath bene saued ô how delightfull is the holy light of faith by which we know by an infallible certitude not onely the historie of the beginning of creaturs and their true vse but euen that of the eternall birth of the great and soueraigne DIVINE WORD to and for whom all was made and who with the Father and the holy Ghost is one onely God most singular most adorable and blessed for euer Amen Ah! saieth S. HIEROME to his Paulina the learned Plato neuer knew this Eloquent Demosthenes was ignorant of it How sweete thy words are to my palace ô God quoth that great king sweeter then honie to my mouth was not our heart burning while he spoake to vs in the way saied those happie pilgrims of Emaus speaking of the flames of loue with which they were touched by the word of faith But if diuine TRVTâ—ES be so sweete being proposed in the obscure light of faith ô God what shall they be when we shall contemplat them in the light of the noone-day of glorie 5. The Queene of Saba
charitie of many shall waxe cold that is she shall not be so actiue and couragious by reason of feare and griefe which shall oppresse mens hearts Sure it is that coÌ„cupiscence hauing coÌ„ceiued doth engeÌ„der sinne but this sinne though sinne indeede doth not still beget the death of the soule but theÌ„ onely when it is compleate in malice and when it is consummate and accomplished as S. IAMES saieth who in this doth establish so cleare a difference betwixt mortall and veniall sinne that it is strang that some in our age haue had the impudence to deney it 3. Howbeit veniall sinne is sinne and consequently displeasant to Charitie not as a thing that is contrarie to her but contrarie to her operations and progresse yea her intention which in so much as we are to direct all our actions to God is violated by veniall sinne which carrying the actions by which they are committed not indeede against God yet besides God and his will and as we saie of a tree rudely dight and shaker by a tempest that nothing is left because though the tree be entire yet is it left without fruite so when our charitie is shaken by the affections we haue to veniall sinne we saie she is diminished and weakned not for that the habits of loue are not entire in our hearts but because she is without the workes which are the fruites 4. The affection to great sinnes did in such â—ort make Vâ—RITIE prisoner to Iniustice amongst the Pagan Philosophers that as the great Apostle saieth knowing God they honored him not according to that knowledge so that though this affection did not banish naturall light yet it made it fruitlesse so the affection to veniall sinne doth not abolish Charitie but it holds her as a slaue tyed hand and foote hindring her freedome and action This affection glewing vs too hard to the enioying of creaturs depriues vs of the spirituall priuicie betwixt God and vs to which charitie as true friendshipe doth incite vs and by consequence this affection doth make vs loose the interiour helpes and assistances which are as the vitall SPIRITS of the soule in default whereof there followeth a certaine spirituall Palsie which in the end if it be not remedied leedes vs to death for to conclude charitie being an actiue qualitie cannot be long without either acting or dying She is saie our Auncients of the nature of Rachael who also did represent her giue me said she to her husband children or else I dye And charitie vrgeth the heart which she hath espoused to make her fertile of good workes otherwise she will perish 5. We are rarely in this mortall life without many temptations now vile and slouthfull hearts and such as are giuen to exteriour pleasures not being accustomed to fight nor traiened vp in spirituall warfare neuer conserue Charitie long but let themselues ordinarily be surprised by mortall sinne which happens so much more easily by how much the soule is more disposed by veniall sinne to mortall for as that Auncient by a daily continuance of carrying the same Calfe bore him also when he was growen to be an Oxe custome hauing by little and little made the encrease of so vntoward a burden insensible so he that doth accustome himselfe to plaie for pence will in the end plaie for crownes pistols and horses and after them for all his substance he that giues bridle to a smale coller will find himself in the end furious and insupportable he that giues himselfe to lye in ieast is in great perill to lye calumniously 6 In fine THEO we are wount to saie that such as haue a weaklie complection haue no life that they haue not an ovnce or not a handfull because that which must quickly haue end seemes indeede already not to be And those drowsie soules which are led with pleasurs aâ—d set vpon transitorie things may well saie that they haue lost Charitie for though as yet they haue her they are euen vpon the point of loosing her How we forsake heauenly loue for that of Creaturs CHAPTER III. 1. THe misfortune to leaue God for the creature happens thus We loue not God without intermission because in this mortall life Charitie is in vs as a simple habite which as the Philosophers noted we vse when we list and neuer against our likeing When we doe not then make vse of the Charitie which is in vs that is wheÌ„ we doe not applie our minds to the exercises of holy loue but keepe them busied in some other affaire or else being slothfull they remaine vnprofitable and idle then THEO they may be assaulted by some bad obiect and surprised by temptation And though the habite of charitie be at that instant in the bottome of our hearts and performe its office inclining vs to reiect the bad suggestion yet doth it not vrge or carrie vs to the action of resistance but according as we second it as the manner of habits is and therefore leauing vs in our freedome it happens often that the bad obiects hauing throwen their allurements deeply into our hearts we ioyne our selues vnto them by an excessiue complacence which after encreasing we can hardly be quit of it and as thornes according to the saying of our Sauiour doe in the end stilfe the seede of grace and heaueÌ„ly loue So it fell-out with our first Mother Eue whose ouerthrow began by a certaine amusement which she made in discoursing with the Serpent taking complacence to heare of her aduancement in knowledge and to see the beautie of the forbidden fruite so that the complacence waxing bigge with the amusement and the amusement feeding it selfe in the complacence she found her selfe at length so entangled that giuing way to consent she did commit the accursed sinne to which afterwards she drew her husband 2. We see doues sometimes touched with vanitie swimme hither and thither obseruing the varietie of their owne plumes and then the Tercelets and Falcons that espie them fall vpon and sease them which they could neuer be able to doe if the doue had flowen out right hauing a stronger winge then the Haulke Alas THEO if we did not stand musing at the vanitie of fraile pleasurs especially in the complacence of selfe-loue but hauing once got charitie would be carefull to flie straight whither she would carrie vs suggestion and temptation should neuer catch vs but because as doues seduced and beguiled by selfe-esteeme we looke backe vpon our selues and keepe our minds too much conuersant amongst creaturs we often find our selues in our enemies clawes who beare away and deuoure vs. 3. God will not hinder that temptation assault vs to th' end that by resistance our charitie may be more exercised that by fight we may beare away the victorie aÌ„d by victorie obtaine the triumphe But that we haue any kind of inclination to delight our selues in the temptation this riseth from the condition of our nature which doth so earnestly loue Good that therby she is subiect to
intention and as for the tone Charitie takes it alwayes at an equall hight sweete and delightfull humane Loue takes it still either to high in terrene things or to low in celestiall and neuer sets vpon his worke till Charitie haue ended hers for so long as charitie is in the soule she serues her selfe of this humane loue as of her Creature and makes vse of him to facilitate her operations so that in that interim the workes of this loue as of a seruant belong to Charitie his Mistresse But Charitie flitting the actions of this loue are entirely his owne not hauing their estimation and worth from Charitie for as Eliseus his stafe in his absence though in the hand of his seruant Geizi who receiued it from him wrought no miracle so actions done in the absence of Charitie by the onely habit of humane loue are of no value or mirite to eternall life though he learned them of charitie being but her seruant And this comes thus to passe because this humane loue in the absence of Charitie hath not any supernaturall strength to raise the soule to the excellent action of the loue of God aboue all things How dangerous this imperfect loue is CHAPTER X. 1. ALas my THEO behold I pray you the poore Iudas after he had betraied his Maister how he goes to render the money to the Iewes how he acknowledgeth his sinne how he speakes honorably of the blood of this immaculate lambe These were effects of imperfect loue which precedent Charitie now past had left in his heart We descend to impietie by certaine degrees and hardly any arriues in an instant to the extreamitie of malice 2. Perfumers though out of their shops beare about with them for a long time the sent of the perfumes which they haue handled So such as haue bene in the Closet of heauenly oyntments that is in holy Charitie hold for a time after the sent of it 3. Where the Hart hath lodged by night the morning after there is a fresh sent or vent of him towards night it is harder to be tooke but as soone as his straine waxeth old ād dead the hoūdes doe begin to loose it When charitie hath raigned for a space in the soule one may find there her racke tracestraine or sent for a time after she be departed but by little and little it doth quite vanish and a man looseth all knowledge that euer Charitie was there 4. I haue seene certaine young people well bred vp in the loue of God who putting them selues out of that path remained for some time amidst their accursed ruine in whom notwithstanding one might haue seene great markes of their former vertue and the habit gotten in time of charitie resisting present vice scarcely could one for some monthes discerne whether they were out of Charitie or not whether vertious or vitious till such time as the progresse did cleare that these vertuous exercises proceeded not from Charitie present but past not from perfect but imperfect loue which Charitie had left behind her as a signe that she had lodged in those soules 5. Now this imperfect loue THEO is good in it selfe for being a creature of holy Charitie and one of her retinue it cannot but be good and indeede did faithfully serue charitie while she seiourned in the soule as it is still readie to serue vpon her returne nor is it to be contemned for that it cannot doe actions of perfect loue the condition of its nature being such so starres which in comparison of the sunne are very imperfect are yet extreamely beautifull beheld alone and hauing no ranke in the presence of the sunne in his absence they haue 6. Howbeit as this loue is good in vs so it is perilous for vs seeing that oftentimes we are contēted with it alone because hauing many interiour and exeteriour stroakes of Charitie thinking that it is the same which we haue we foole our selues with opinion of our owne sanctitie while in this vaine persuation the sinnes which depriued vs of Charitie doe encrease waxe bigge and multiplie so fast that in the end they make themselues Maisters of our heart If IACOB had not left his perfect Rachell but had keept still by her the day of his marriage he had not bene deceiued as he was but permittīg her to goe into the Chāber without him he was holy astonished in the morning following to find onely in lieu of her the imperfect Lia which yet he beleeued had bene his deare Rachell But Laban had put that deceit vpon him Now selfe loue deceiues vs in the same manner how little so euer we forsake Charitie it thrusts vpon vs estimation this imperfect habit and we delight our selues in it as though it were the true Charitie tell some cleare light manifest vnto vs that we are abused 7. Ah God! is it not a great pitie to see a soule flatter her selfe in the imagination of Sanctitie remaining at rest as though she were possessed of Charitie finding in the end her Sanctitie a fiction her rest a Letargie her ioye a madnesse A meanes to discerne this imperfect loue CHAPTER XI 1. BVt you will aske me what meanes is there to discerne whether it be RACHELL or LIA Charitie or imperfect loue which gaue me the feelings of deuotiō wherewith I am touched If examining in particular the obiects of the desires affections and designes which you haue for the present you find any one for which you would transgresse the good will and pleasure of God by sinning mortally it is then out of doubt that all the feeling facilitie and promptitude which you haue in Gods seruice issue from no other source then humane and imperfect loue for if perfect loue raigned in vs ô Lord God! it would breake euery affection euery desire euery designe whose obiect were so pernicious and would not indure that our heart should behould it 2. But note that I saied that this examine must be made vpon our present affections for it is not requisite that you should imagine to your selfe such as may arise hereafter sith it is sufficient that we be faithfull in present occurrences according to the diuersitie of times and sith that euery time hath enough to doe with it 's owne paine and trauell 3. Yet if you were desirous to exercise your heart in spirituall valour by the representation of diuers encounters and assaults you may profitably doe it prouided that after the acts of this imaginarie valour which your heart might haue made you esteeme not your selfe more valliant for the children of Ephraim who did wonders with their bow and arrowes while they were yet trained vp in warlike feates at home when it came indeede to the push vpon the day of battell they turned their backes and had not so much as the courage to bow their arrowes or behold those of their enemies 4. When therefore we doe practise this valour in future occurrences or such as are onely possible if we find a good and
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
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
end thou mightest be God 4. It is another kind of Beneuolence towards God when seeing we cannot aduance him in himselfe we striue to doe it in our selues that is still more and more to encrease the Complacence we take in his Goodnesse And then THEOT we desire not the Complacēce for the pleasure it yealdes vs but purely because this pleasure is in God For as we desire not the compassion for the sorrow it brings to our heart but because this sorrow doth vnite and associate vs to our well-beloued who greerueth Nor doe we loue the complacence because it brings vs pleasure but because this pleasure is taken in vnion of the pleasure and goodnesse which is in God to which to be more vnited we would please our selues in a complacence infinitly greater by the imagination of the most holy Queene and mother of loue whose soule did continually magnifie and exalte God And to th' end that it might be knowen that this aduancement was made by the complacence which she tooke in the diuine Goodnesse she signifies that her heart leapt with contentment in God her Sauiour How the desire to exalte and magnifie God doth separate vs from inferiour pleasures and makes vs attentiue to the Diuine perfections CHAPTER VII 1. LOVE OF BENEVOLENCE then causeth in vs a desire more ād more to increase the cōplacence which we take in the Diuine Goodnesse and to effect this encrease the soule doth carefully depriue her selfe of all other pleasure that she may giue herselfe more entirely to take pleasure in God A religious man asked S. GILES one of the first and most holy Companions of S. FRANCIS in what worke he could be most agreeable to God he answered in singing one to one which after explicating giue alwayes quoth he all your soule the onely one to God who is one The soule doth glide through pleasures and the diuersitie of them doth distract and hinder her that she cannot attentiuely attend to the pleasure which she ought to take in God The true Louer hath scarcely any pleasure but in the thing beloued The glorious S. PAVLE reputed all things as durt or dung in comparison of his Sauiour And the sacred Spouse is entirely for her well-beloued And if the soule that stands thus holily affected meet with creaturs neuer so excellent yea though they were Angels she makes no delay with them saue onely to be helped and aduanced in her desire Tell me then saieth she to them tell me I coniure you haue you not seene him whom my heart loues The glorious Louer MAGDELEN met the Angels at the sepulchre who doubtlesse spoke to her angelically that is deliciously desirous to appease her griefe but contrariwise wholy ruthfull she could take no kind of content neither in their milde words nor in the glorie of their garments nor in the heauenly grace of their gesture nor in the wholy louely beautie of their featurs but couered with tears they haue taken away my Maister saieth she and I know not where they haue put him And turning about she saw her sweete Sauiour but in forme of a Gardener wherein her heart cānot be at repose for full with the loue of the death of her maister flowres she will haue none nor consequently Gardeners she hath with in her heart the crosse the nailes the thornes she seakes her crucified Lord ah my deare Maister Gardener saieth she whether peraduenture haue you not planted my well-beloued deseased Lord amongst your flowres as a Lillie crusshed and withered Tell me quickly and I will carrie him away But no sooner had he called her by her name but wholy melting with delight ô God saieth she maister Nothing can content her nor Angels cōpanie delight he no nor yet her Sauiours vnlesse he appeare in that forme in which he had stolne her heart The kings could not content themselues neither in Hierusalems goodlinesse nor in the Courts magnificence nor in the starres splendour Their hearts searching the little caue and child of Bethleem The MOTHER OF FAIRE DILECTION and the Spouse of most holy Loue cannot stay amongst their parents and friends they still walke on in griefe enquiring after the onely obiect of their delight The desire to encrease holy complacence cuts of all other pleasure to th' end it may with more feruour practise that to which diuine beneuolence doth excite 2. Now more to magnifie the soueraigne well-beloued the soule goes still pursuing his face that is with an attention daily more carefull and feruent she notes euery particularitie of the beauties and perfections which are in him making a continuall progresse in this pleasing inquirie of motiues that might perpetually presse her to a greater complacence in the incomprehensible goodnesse which she loueth So DAVID in many of his heauenly Psalmes doth cote by parcells the workes and wonders of God And the sacred Spouse rangeth in her diuine Canticles as a well ranked armie all the perfections of her spouse in their order to prouoke her soule to a holy complacence thereby more highly to magnifie his excellencie and withall to winne euery creature to the loue of her so louely a friend How holy Beneuolence doth produce the Diuine well-beloueds Praises CHAPTER VIII 1. HOnour my deare THEO is not in him that is honoured but in him that doth honour for how ordinarie is it that he whom we honour is ignorant nor doth so much as thinke thereof how oftē doe we praise such as knowes vs not or doe sleepe and yet according to the ordinarie estimation of men and their manner of conceiuing it seemes that to doe one honour is to benefite him and that in giuing him titles and honours we giue him much and we sticke not to saie that a man is rich in honour glorie reputation praise though indeede we know that all this is out of the partie that is honoured who oftentimes receiues no manner of profit therby according to a saying ascribed to great S. AVGVSTINE O poore Aristotle thou art praised where thou art not and where thou art thou art burnt What fruite I pray doe Cesar and Alexander the Great reape of so many vaine words which a companie of vaine soules imploied in their praises 2. God replenished with a goodnesse which doth surpasse all praise and honour receiues no aduantage or surplusage of good by all the benedictiōs which we giue him he is neither richer nor greater more content or more happie by them for his happinesse his content greatnesse and riches neither are or can be any other thing then the diuine infinitie of his Goodnesse Notwithstanding because according to our ordinarie apprehension honour is held one of the greatest effectes of our beneuolence towards others and that therby we doe not onely not presuppose those that we honour in any want but rather doe protest that they abound in excellencie we therefore make vse of this kind of beneuolēce towards God who doth not onely admit it but exact it as a thing conformable to
lameÌ„table voices and to testifie also that he made vse of holy mentall prayer he addes I will meditate as a doue winding and doubling my thoughtes within my heart by an attentiue consideration to excite my selfe to blisse and praise the soueraigne mercy of my God who hath brought me backe from deaths gate taking coÌ„passion of my miserie So saieth Isaie we will roare or rustle like Beares and meditating we will mourne as Doues the rustling of Beares doth resemble the exclamations which are made in vocall praier and the mourning of Doues is compared to holy meditation But to the end it may appeare that Doues doe not onely mourne in occasions of griefe but euen of loue also and ioye the sacred Spouse describing the naturall spring-time to expresse the graces of the spirituall spring-time the Turtles voice saieth he hath bene heard in our land because in the spring the Turtle begins to waxe hote with loue which by her more frequent song she testifieth and presently after my Doue shew me thy face let thy voice resound in my eares for thy voice is sweete and thy face comely and gracious He would saie THEO that the deuote soule is most agreeable vnto him when she presents her selfe before him and meditats to heate her selfe in holy spirituall loue as doe Doues to stirre vp their mates to a naturall loue So he that had saied I will meditate as a Doue putting his conceite into other words I will recall to mind saieth he all my yeares in the bitternesse of my soule for to meditate and to recall to mind to th' end to moue affection are the same thing Hence Moyses exhorting the people to recall to mind the benefits receiued of God he addes this reason to th' end you may obserue his commandements walke in his wayes and feare him And our Sauiour himselfe gaue this command to Iosue thou shalt meditate in the booke of the lawe day and night that therby thou mayest obserue and doe that which is written in it which in one of the passages is expressed by the word MEDITATE is declared in the other by RECALL TO MIND And to shew that an iterated thought and meditation tend to moue vs to affections resolutions and actâ—ons it is saied as well in the one as the other passage that we must recall to mind and meditate in the law to obserue and practise it In this sense the Apostle exhorts vs saying think diligently vpon him who sustained of sinners such contradiction against himselfe that you be not wearied fainting in your minds When he saieth think diligently it is as though he had saied meditate but why would he haue vs to meditate the holy passion not that we should waxe learned but that we should become patient and constant in the way of heauen 5. Meditation is a mysticall ruminating requisite that we might not be found vncleane to which one of the pious shepherdesses that followeth the sacred Sunamite inuits vs for she assures vs that holy write is as a precious wine worthy to be drunk not onely by the Pastours and Doctours but also to be diligently tasted chewed and ruminated as one would saie Thy throte saieth she wherein the holy words are formed is a best wine worthy of my well-beloued to be drunk with his lippes and ruminated with his teeth So the Blessed Isaac as a neate and pure Lambe towards night went out into the fields to recollect conferre and exercise his Spirit with God that is to praie and meditate 6. The Bee flies from flowre to flowre in the spring time not at all adueÌ„tures but of pourpose not to be recreated onely in the verdant diapring of the fieldes but to gather honie which hauing found she suckes and lodes her selfe with it thence carying it to her hyue she accommodates it artificially separating the waxe from it therof makeing the combe to reserue honie for the ensuing winter Such is the deuote soule in meditation she passeth from mysterie to mysterie not at randome or to solace her selfe onely in viewing the admirable beautie of those diuine obiectes but deliberatly and of set pourpose to find out motifes of loue or some heauenly affection and hauing found them she drawes them to her she relisheth them and lodes her selfe with them and hauing brought them home and placed them in her heart she selectes that which she finds most proper for her aduancement storing herselfe with fit resolutions against the time of temptation Thus the celestiall Spouse as a mysticall bee flies to the Canticle of Canticles now vpon the eyes now vpon the lippes cheekes and head haire of the well-beloued to draw from thence the sweetnesse of a thousand passions of loue to this effect noting in particular whatsoeuer she finds rare So that inflamed with holy loue she speakes with him puts interrogatories to him she harkes sighes aspires admires as he of his part fills her with delight inspiring her touching and opening her heart and streaming into it brightnesse lighte and sweetenesses with-out end but in so secrete a manner that one may rightly saie of this holy conuersation of the soule with God as the Holy Text saieth of God's with Moises that Moises being sole vpon the tope of the mountaine he spoke to God and God answered him A description of contemplation and touching the first difference that there is betwixt it and meditation CHAPTER III. 1. THEO Contemplation is no other thing then a louing simple and permanent attention of the mynd to holy things which you may easily perceiue by comparing it with meditation 2. The little younge Bees are called nymphes vntill they make honie and then they become Bees so praier is named meditation till such time as it haue produced the honie of deuotion and then it is conuerted into contemplation for as the Bee flies through the countrie meades to prey here and there and gather honie which hauing heaped together she takes in its sweetnesse so we meditate to gather the loue of God but hauing gathered it we contemplate God and are attentife to his Goodnesse by reason of the sweetnesse which loue makes vs find in it The desire we haue to obtaine diuine loue makes vs meditate but loue obtained makes vs contemplate for by loue we find out a sweetenesse so agreeable in the thing beloued that we cannot satisfie our mindes in seeing and considering it 3. Behould the Queene of Saba THEO considering by parcells the wisdome of Salomon in his answers in the beautie of his house in the magnificencie of his table in his seruants lodgings in the order that his Courtiours held in executing their charges in their apparrell and behauiour in the multitude of Holocausts which were offered in the Temple she was taken with an ardent loue which changed her meditation into a contemplation by which being rapt out of her selfe she vttered diuers words of extreame conteÌ„tment The sight of so many wonders begot in her heart an exceeding loue and that loue enkindled
soule saieth she melted as soone as my well-beloued spoke The loue of her Spouse was in her heart and breast as a strong new wine which cannot be contained within the peece For it ouerflowed one euery side and the soule being led by her loue after the Spouse had saied thy breastes are better then wine streaming out precious ointments she addes Thy name is oile poured-out and as the Spouse had poured out his loue and soule into the heart of the Spouse so she againe turnes her soule into the Spouse his heart and as we see a honie-combe touched with a hote sunne-beame goe out of it selfe forsaking its forme doe also flowe on that side where the sunne toucheth it so the soule of this louer runns that ward where her well-beloued is heard going out of her selfe and passing the limits of her naturall beeing to follow him that spoke vnto her 3. But how is this sacred liquifaction of the soule into the well-beloued practised An extreame complacence of the Louer in the thing beloued begets a certaine spirituall impotencie which makes the soule not finde any more power to remaine in her selfe And therefore as dissolued Baulme that hath no more firmenesse or soliditie she permits her selfe to slide and runne into the thing beloued for she neither casteth her selfe by way of iaculation nor locks her selfe by way of vnion but lets her selfe gently glide as a liquide and fluent thing into the Diuinitie which she loues And as we see cloudes which thickned by the winde at Noonetide resoluing ād turning into raine cannot containe themselues but doe fall and showre downe and mixe themselues so inly with the earth which they moisten that they become one thing with it so the soule which though otherwise in loue remained before in her selfe goes out by this sacred liquifaction and saintly flowing and forsakes her selfe not onely to be vnited to the well-beloued but to be entirely mingled and moistened with him 4. You see then deare THEOT that the liquifaction of a soule into her God is a true extasie by which the soule trenscendes the limits of her naturall behauiour being wholy mixed absorpt and engulfed in God Hence it happens that such as attaine to these holy excesses of heauenly loue afterward being come to themselues can finde nothing in the earth that can content them and liuing in an extreame annihilation of themselues remaine much weakned in that which toucheth sense ād haue perpetually in their hearts the B. Mother Teresa her Maxime ALL THAT IS NOT GOD IS NOTHING And it seemes that such was the louing passion of the great friend of the well-beloued who saied I liue now not I but IESVS-CHRIST in me and our life is hid with IESVS-CHRIST in God For tell me I praie you THEOT if a drope of Elementarie water throwne into an Ocean of liue water were liuing could speake and declare it's condition would it not crie out with ioye O mortalls I liue indeede but I liue not I but this Ocean liues in me and my life is hidden in this Abisse 5. The soule that runnes into God dies not For how can she die by being shut vp in life but she liues without liuing in her selfe because as the starrs without loosing their light shine not in the presence of the Sunne but the Sunne shines in thē and they are hid in the light of the Sunne so the soule without loosing her life liues not being mixed with God but God liues in her Such as I thinke were the feelings of the great S. PHILIPPVS NERIVS and S. FRANCIS ZAVERIVS when ouercloied with heauenly consolations they petitioned to God that he would withdrawe himselfe for a space from them sith his will was that their life should a little longer appeare vnto the world which could not be while it was wholy hidden and absort in God Of the wound of loue CHAPTER XIII 1. All these termes of loue are drawne from a certaine resemblance which is betwixt the affections of the minde and the passions of the bodie GRIEFE FEARE HOPE HATRED and the rest of the affections of the soule enters not into the heart but when loue doth drawe thē after it We doe not hate euill but because it is contrarie to the Good which we loue We feare future euill because it will depriue vs of the good we loue Though an euill be extreame yet doe we neuer hate it but according to the opposition it hath to the good which is deare vnto vs. He that doth not much affect the Commonwealth is not much troubled to see it ruin'd He that doth not much loue God doth also not much hate sinne LOVE is the first yea the Source and origine of all the Passions And therefore it is LOVE that first enters the heart ād because it doth penetrate ād that well nigh to the very bottome of the will where his seate is we saie he wounds the heart It is sharp-pointed saieth the Apostle of France and enters the heart most deeply the other affections doe also enter but by the meanes of loue for it is he that pearcing the heart makes passage The onely point of the dart woundeth the rest of it doth but enlarge the wound and encrease paine 2. Now if it wound it doth consequently put vs to paine Pomegranats by their vermillion colour by the multitude of their cornes so close set and rancked and by their faire crownes liuely represēting as S. GREGORIE saieth most holy Charitie all redde by reasō of her ardour towards God crowned with the varietie of all vertues and who alone doth beare away the crowne of eternall reward 's but the iuice of Pomegranats which as we know is so delightfull as well to the sound as sicke is so compounded of sweete and soure that one can hardly discerne whether it delights the taste more by it's sweetish tartnesse or tarte sweetenesse Verily THEOT Loue is in like sorte bitter-sweete and while we liue in this world it hath neuer a sweetenesse perfectly sweete because it is not perfect or euer purely saciated and satisfied and yet it leaues not to be maruelous agreeable to the tartnesse thereof correcting the Lusshiousnesse of it's sweetenesse as the sweetenesse thereof sharpens the delight of it's tartenesse But how can this be there haue bene young men seene enter into conuersation free sound and frolicke who not taking care of themselues plainely perceiued lōg before they could get cleare that loue making vse of glaunces gestures words yea of the haire of a weake and fraile creature as of so many darts had smote and wounded their poore hearts so that you shall see them sorrowfull sad and dismaied Why I praie you are they sorrowfull With out doubt because they are wounded and who hath wounded them LOVE but loue being the child of Complacence how can it wounde and aggreeue Sometimes the beloued obiect is absent and then my deare THEO Loue woundes the heart by the desire which it excits which while it
amiable as his was amiably dolorous nor can we neuer loue him as his loue and death requireth There is yet another wound of loue when the soule knowes well she loues God and he treates her in such sort as though he knew not she loued him or were diffident of her loue for then my deare THEO the soule is put into an extreame anguish it being insupportable vnto her to see or perceiue any apparence that God distrusts in her The poore S. PETER found his heart full of loue towards his Maister and his Maister making shew not to know it Peter quoth he dost thou loue me more then these Ah Lord saied the Apostle thou knowest I loue thee But Peter dost thou loue me replied our Sauiour My deare Maister saied the Apostle truely I loue thee thou knowest it But this so cote Maister to proue him and as shewing a diffidence of his loue Peeter saied he dost thou loue me Ah Sauiour thou woundest this poore heart who much afflicted cries out louingly yet dolorously Maister thou knowest all things indeede thou knowest well I loue thee Vpon a certaine day while a possessed person was exorcised the wicked spirit being vrged to tell his name I am quoth he that accursed creature DEPRIVED OF LOVE and S. CATHARIN who was there present sodenly perceiued all her bowells moued and disordered in onely hauing heard these words PRIVATION OF LOVE pronounced for as the Diuels doe so hate the diuine loue that they quake in seeing the signe of it hearing it named that is in seeing the crosse or be a rāg the name of IESVS pronoūced So such as doe entirely loue our Sauiour doe tremble with griefe ād horrour when they see any signes or seen by worde that doth brīg to mīd the priuatiō of this holy loue 2. S. PETER was certaine that God who knew all could not be ignorant how much he was loued by him yet because the repetition of this demaund Peter dost thou loue me hath some apparence of diffidence S. PETER is much afflicted in it Alas the poore soule that is resolued rather to die then offend her God and yet feeles not a sparke of feruour but contrariwise an extreame coldnesse which doth so benume and weaken all her parts that she frequently fals into very sensible imperfections this soule I saie THEO is all wounded for her loue is exceeding dolourous to see that God doth not seeme to see that she loues him leauing her as one that appertaines not to him and she apprehēds that amidst her defaults distractions and coldnesse our Sauiour doth strike her with this reproach how can'st thou saie that thou loue'st me seeing thy minde is not with me which is as a dart of sorrowe through her heart but a dart of sorrowe which proceedes from loue for if she loued not she would not be afflicted with the apprehension she hath that she loues not 3. Sometimes loue doth wound vs in the very memorie we haue that there was a time in which we loued not our God O how late I haue loued the auncient and new beautie saied that Saint who for thirtie yeares was Hereticke Life past is a horrour to his life present who passed his life past without louing the Soueraigne Goodnesse 4. Sometimes loue doth wound vs with the meere cōsideration of the multitude of those that doe contemne the loue of God so that hereby we sownd with griefe as he who saied my Zeale ô Lord hath withered me with griefe for that my enemyes haue not kept thy lawe And the Great S. FRANCIS thinking he had not bene heard wept vpon a day sobed and lamented so pitifully that an honest man ouer hearing him ranne to his succour as thinking some had offered to kill him and finding him all alone asked of him why dost thou crie so heard poore man Alas quoth he I weepe to thinke that our Sauiour endured so much for the loue of vs and none thinkes of it and hauing saied thus he begun againe to weepe and this good mā fell also a sobbing and weeping with him 5. But howsoeuer this is admirable in the woundes receiued from the diuine loue that their paine is delightfull and all that feele it consent to it and would not change this paine for all the pleasures of the world There is no paine in Loue or if any it is a beloued one A Seraphin on a day holding a golden arrowe from the heade whereof issued a little flame he darted it into the heart of the B. Mother Teresa and offering to drawe it out this virgine seemed to haue her bowells drawen from her the paine being so excessiue that she had onely force to cast out weake and smale sighes but yet it was a paine so amiable that she desired neuer to be deliuered of it Such was the arrowe that God sent into the heart of the great S. CATHARIN of Genua in the beginning of her conuersion whence she became another woman dead to the world and things created to liue onely to her Creatour The well-beloued is a posie of bitter Myrrhe and this posie is also the well-beloueds who remaines dearely seated betwixt the breastes of his well-beloued that is the best-beloued of all the well-beloueds Of the amourous languishment of the heart wounded with loue CHAPTER XV. 1. IT is a thing sufficiently knowne that humane loue doth not onely wound the heart but euen weaken the bodie mortally because as passions and the temperature of the bodie hath a great power to encline the soule and draw her after its so the affections of the soule haue great force in stirring the humours and changing the qualities of the bodie but further loue when it is violent doth beare away the soule to the thing beloued with such impetuositie and doth so wholy possesse her that she is deficient in all her other operations be they sensatiue or intellectuall so that to feede and second this loue the soule seemes to abandon all other care all other exercises yea and her selfe too whēce Plato saied that Loue was poore trent naked barefoote miserable without house that it laie without dores vpon the hard ground alwayes in want It is poore because it makes one quit all for the thing beloued It is without a house because it vrgeth the soule to leaue her owne habitation to follow hī cōtinually whō she loues It is miserable pale leane and ruinous for that it makes one loose sleepe meete and drinke It is naked and barefoote sith it makes one forsake all other affections to embrace that of the thing beloued It lies without vpon the hard ground because it laies open the heart that is in loue making it manifest its passions by sighes plaintes praises suspicions iealousies It lies all along at the gate like a begger because it makes the louer perpetually attentiue to the eyes and mouth of the beloued hanging continually at his eares to speake to him and begge of him some fauours wherwith it is neuer saciated
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
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
vnuested himselfe and going into Iordaine washing himselfe and drinking the waters thereof he thought he saw his Sauiour receiuing Baptisme at his Precursors hand and the holy Ghost descending visibly vpon him in the forme of a doue the Heauens remaining open from whence as it appeared to him the voice of the Eternall Father issued saying This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am pleased From Bethania he takes his way towards the Desert where he beheld with the eyes of his mind the Sauiour of the world-fasting fighting and vanquishing the Enemie together with the Angels who serued him with admirable foode From thence he makes towards the Mount THABOR where he saw our Sauiour transfigured thence to the mountaine of SION where he saw our Sauiour againe as he apprehended vpon his knees in the last supper washing the Disciples feâ—â— aÌ„d then distributing vnto them his sacred bodie in the holy EVCHARISTE he passeth the Torrent of CEDRON and betakes himselfe to the Garden of GETHSEMINâ— where with a most amiable dolour his heart dissolued into teares while he proposed vnto himselfe his deare Sauiour sweating blood in the extreame Agonie which he there endured and soone after takeÌ„ corded aÌ„d led to Hierusalâ— whither also he goes throughly to follow the footesteps of his Beloued and saw him in Imagination haled hither and thither to ANNAS to CAIPHAS to PILATE to HERODE whipped buffetted spit vpon crowned with thornes presented to the people sentenced to death loden with his Crosse which he carries and in carrying it met his dolorous mother and the daughters of Hierusalem bewailing him Finally this deuote Pilgrime mounts vnto the MouÌ„t Caluarie where he sees in Spirit the Crosse laied vpon the ground and our Sauiour quite naked whom they throw downe and most cruelly naile him to it hand and foote He goes on contemplating how they reare vp the Crosse and crucifie him in the aire blood flowing out from euery part of his diuine bodie He lookes vpon the poore sacred virgin traÌ„spearced with the sword of sorrow and then againe he eyeth his crucified Sauiour whose 7. last words he marks with an incomparable loue and at the length he saw him dying soone after dead Then receiuing the wound of thâ— Lance and by that holes passage shewing his Diuine heart then taken downe from the Crosse and carried to his Sepulcher whither still he followes him sending out a Sea of teaâ—es vpon the ground which was watered with his Redeemours blood he enters into the sepulcher and buries his heart with his Maisters bodie afterwards rising with him he goes to Emaus and sees what passed betweene the Maister aÌ„d his two Disciples In fine returning by the Mount Oliuet where thâ— Mysterie of the Ascension was accomplished and there seeing the last prints and footesteps of his heauenly Sauiours feete falling groueling vpon them and kissing theÌ„ a thousand thousand times with the sighes of an infinite loue he begunne to draw towards him the force of all his affections as an Archer the string of his Bowe when he is about to shoote then raising himselfe and stretching his eyes and hands to heauenward O IESVS saied he my sweete IESVS I haue now no further to search and follow thee in Earth Ah then IESVS IESVS my LOVE grant vnto my poore heart that it may follow thee and flie after thee to Heauen and in these feruent words he presently breathed out his sole to Heauen as a blessed arrow which he as a diuine Archer shot at the white of his most happie Obiect But his fellow 's and seruants who saw this Louer so sodainly fall downe as dead amaised at the accideÌ„t raÌ„ne with speede for the Doctor who when he came he found him quite dead and to giue a certaine Iudgment of so sodaine a death he made enquirie of what complection nature and dispositâ—on the deceased partie was and he found that he was of a most sweete aÌ„d amiable nature maruellous deuote and feruent in the loue of God Wherevpon quoth the Doctor doubtlesse his heart split with excesse and feruour of loue And to confirme his iudgment the more he opened him and found this generous heart open with this sacred Motto engrauen in it IESVS MY LOVE Loue then plaied Deaths parte in this heart seperating the soule from the bodie without the concourse of any other cause S. Bernardin of Sienna a learned and pious Authour relates this Historie in the first of his Sermons of the Ascension 3. An other Authour also well neare of the same Age who out of humilitie concealed his name worthy to be named in a booke intitled A MYRROR OF THE SPIRITVALL makes mention of an historie yet more admirable for he saieth that in PROVINCE there liued a Lord much addicted to the Loue of God and exceeding deuote to the Blessed Sacrament Now vpon a time being extreamly afflicted with a disease which caused him coÌ„tinually to reÌ„der the Holy CoÌ„munioÌ„ which was brought vnto him who not daring to receiue it least he might be forced to cast it vp againe he besought the Pastour to applie it at least to his breast and with it to make the signe of the Crosse ouer him This was done and in a moment his breast inflamed with Diuine Loue opened and drew into it selfe the heauenly foode wherin his beloued was contained and at the same instant departed life I must in very deede confesse that this historie is extraordinarie and such as would require a more waightie testimonie yet after the true historie of S. CLARE DE MONTE PALCO which all the world may euen to this day see and that of S. Francis his STIGMATS which is most certaine my soule meets with nothing which is hard to be beleeued amongst she effects of Diuine Loue. That the Sacred Virgin mother of God died of the loue of her Sâ—nne CHAPTER XIII 1. ONe can hardly well doubt but that the great S. Ioseph died before the Passion and death of our Sauiour who otherwise had not commended his mother to S. Iohn And how can one imagine that the deare child of his heart his beloued Nurse-child did not assist him at the houre of his departure Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy Alas how much sweetenesse Charitie and Mercy did this good Foster-father vse towards our little Sauiour at his â—ntrie into this world and who can then beleeue but at his departure out of it that diuine child rendred him the like with an hundredfold filling him with heauenly delights Storks are the true representations of the mutuall pietie of children towards their parents and of parents towards their children for being flitting birds they beare their decrepit parents with them in their iorney as their parents had borne them while they were yet young in the like occasion While our Sauiour was yet a little babe the great S. Ioheph his Foster-Father and his most glorious Virgin-mother had many a time borne him but especially in their iorney from Iudea
our fâ—â—ble â—ight cannot constantly and steaddily behold them by reason of the great distance So ordinarily Saints that die of loue experience in themselues a great varietie of accidents and symptomes thereof before they come to their eÌ„d many sobings many assaults many extasies many laÌ„guors many agonies and one would thinke that their Loue brought forth their happie death by trauell and 〈◊〉 endeuours which happens by the weaknesse of their loue which is not as yet perfectly perfect so that it cannot continew affection with an equall steadfastnesse 3. But in the B. Virgin it was a quite other thing for as we see the faire AVRORA encrease not at diuers essayes and ierts but by a coÌ„tinued dilatation and encrease which is in a sort insensibly sensible so that she is indeede seene to encrease her light yet so softly that no interruption seperation or discontinuation can be apprehended therein So God's loue did euery moment encrease in the Virginall heart of this glorious Ladie but by a gentle smooth and continued encrease without agitation tosse or violence at all Ah no THEO we must not admit any forcible agitation in this celestiall loue of the virgins motherly heart for loue of it selfe is sweete gracious peaceable and calme And if it doe sometimes assault and make force against the mind it is because it meetes with opposition But when the passages of the soule lye open to it without oppositioÌ„ or coÌ„tradiction it peaceably makes progresse with an incoÌ„parable sweetenesse Thus then holy loue exercised its force vpon the virginall heart of the Sacred mother without force or violent boisterousnesse because it found therein neither stop nor staie For as we see great riuers froth and flash back againe with a great noise in craggie corners where the points or shelues of rockes doe oppose themselues and hinder the waters course while contrariwise they dâ—ie smoothly without violence glid and steele ouer the plaines So diuine Loue meeting with many impeachments and oppositions in humane hearts as in truth all hearts haue them though differently makes force fighting against naughtie inclinations beating the heart thrusting the will forwards by diuers shuggs aÌ„d sundrie essayes to make way be made to it selfe or at least to ouerpasse the obstacles But all things in the B. Virgin did helpe and second the course of heauenly loue making in her a greater progresse and encrease then in all other creaturs yet a progresse that was infinitly sweete peaceable aÌ„d calme No she sownded not with loue or compassion at the foote of her crucified sonne though there she had the most hote aÌ„d stinging fit of loue that euer heart could thinke for though it was an extreame fit yet was it equally strong and sweete powerfull and calme actiue and peaceable composed of a sharpe yet sweete heate 4. I doe not denie THEO that there were two portions in the B. Virgins soule and consequently two appetits the one according to the Spirit and superiour reason the other according to sense and inferiour reason so that she could feele the oppositions and contrarieties of both the appetits for this trouble did euen our Sauiour her sonne endure But I affirme that all affections were so well ordered and â—anged in this heauenly mother that diuine Loue did most peaceably exercise in her its power and dominion without being troubled by the diuersitie of wills and appetits or contrarietie of the senses because the oppositioÌ„s of the naturall appetite and motion of the senses did neuer come to be so much as a veniall sinne but contrariwise all these were holily and faithfully imploied in the seruice of diuine Loue for the exercise of other vertues which for the most part cannot be practised but amongst difficulties oppositions and contradictions 5. Thorneâ— in the common opinion are not onely differeÌ„t from flowers but contrarie to them and it seemes it were better if there were none in the world which made S. Ambrose thinke that but for sinne there had bene none at all But yet â—ith there are some the carefull husbandman doth fetch profit out of theÌ„ making there hedges and inclosurs about his closes and springing trees being their defence and rampire against cattell So the Glorious virgin hauing had a part in all humane miseries sauing such as doe directly tend to sinne she imploied them most profitably to the exercise and encrease of holy vertues of Hope Temperance Iustice and Prudence Pouertie Humilitie Sufferance and Compassion So that she was so farre from hindring that she did euen assist and strengthen heauenly loue by continuall exercises and aduancements And in her Magdalen did not trouble the attention wherewith she receiued from her Sauiour the impressions of loue for all Martha's heate and sollicitude She hath made choice of her Sonn's loue and not any thing doth depriue her of it 6. The ADAMANT as euery one knowes THEO doth naturally draw Iron vnto it by a secreet and most wonderfull vertue yet 5. things there are which doe hinder this operation 1. a too great distance 2. a DiamaÌ„t interposed 3. if the IroÌ„ be greesed 4. if it be rubbed with an onyon 5. if it be too waightie Our heart is made for God who doth continually allure it neuer ceasing to throw his baits into our hearts But fiue things doe hinder the operatioÌ„ of his draughtes 1. Sinne which puts vs at a distance with God 2. affection to riches 3. sensuall pleasures 4. Pride and vanitie 5. self-loue together with the multitude of inordinate passions which it brings forth and are to vs an ouercharging load bearing vs downe But none of these hindrances had place in the Glorious virgins heart 1. she was perpetually preserued from all sinne 2. perpetually most poore of heart 3. perpetually most pure 4. perpetually most humble 5. perpetually a peaceable Mistresse of all her passions and exempt from the rebellion which self-loue raiseth against the loue of God And therefore as Iron if it were quit of all obstacle yea euen of its owne waight were powerfully yet softely aÌ„d with aÌ„ equall draught drawne by the AdamaÌ„t yet so that the draught should still be more actiue and forcible as they came nearer the one to the other and the motion nearer to its end So the most holy Mother hauing nothing in her which hindred her Sonns diuine Loue she was vnited vnto him in an incomparable vnion by gentle extasies without trouble or trauell Extasies in which the sensible powers ceased not to performe their actions without disturbing the vnion of the mind as againe the perfect application of her mind did not much diuert her senses So that this virgins decease was more sweete then could be imagined drawen delightfully by the sent of her Sonns perfums and she most amiably springing after their sacred sweetenesse euen into the bosome of her Sonns Bountie And albeit this holy soule did extreamely affect her most holy most pure and most amiable bodie yet did she forsake it without paine
or resistance at all as the Chast Iudith who though she maruellously loued the habits of Penance and widowhood forsooke them notwithstanding and freely put them off to put on her marriage garments when she went to be victorious ouer Holofernes or as a Ionathas when for the loue of Dauid he did the like Loue had made her feele at the Crosses foote the deepest sorrow of death and therefore it was but reason that at length death should possesse her of the soueraigne delightes of loue The end of the Seauenth Booke THE EIGHT BOOKE OF THE LOVE OF CONFORMITIE BY WHICH WE VNITE OVR WILLS TO THE will of God signified vnto vs by his Commandements Counsells and inspirations Of the loue of Conformitie proceeding from holy Complacence CHAPTER I. AS good ground hauing receiued the seede doth render it in its season with an hundred fold so the heart that hath taken complacence in God cannot hinder it selfe from presenting another complacence to God None pleaseth vs whom we desire not to please Fresh wine doth for a time refresh the drinkers but as soone as it is heated in the receiuers stomake it mutually heats it and the more the stomake heat's it the more it heat's the stomake True loue is neuer vngratefull but striues to please the in whom it is pleased and theÌ„ce is that louing conformitie which makes vs such as those that we loue The most deuote and most wise king Salomon became foole and Idolater while he loued women that were fooles and Idolaters and serued as many Idols as did his wiues For this cause the Scripture termes those men effeminate that desperatly affect women in qualitie of women because Loue metamorphiseth men into women in manners and behauiour 2. Now this metamorphosâ—s is made insensibly by the complacence which hauing got entrie into our heart begets another to present it vnto him of whom we had it They saie there is a little land beast in the Indies which takes such a delight to accoÌ„painie fish in the sea that by often swimming with them it becomes a fish and of a beast of the land a beast of the sea So by often delighting in God we become conformable to God and our will is transformed into that of the Diuine Maiestie by the complace which it takes therein Loue saieth S. Chrysostome either finds or makes similitude The example of such as we loue beares a sweete and imperceptible rule ouer vs an authoritie not to be perceiued It is necessarie either to imitate or forsake them He that being taken with the delight of perfumes enters into the perfumers shop receiuing thence the pleasure which he takes to smell those odours perfumes himselfe and going out communicats to others part of the pleasurs which he receiued spreeding amongst them the sent of the perfumes which he had contracted our heart together with the pleasurs which it taketh in the thing beloued drawes vnto it selfe the qualitie thereof for delight opens the heart as sorrow shuts it wherevpon the holy Scripture often vseth the word dilate insteede of reioyce Now the heart being opened by pleasure the impressions of the qualities whereof the pleasure depends finds easie passage into the heart and together with them such others as are in the same subiect though distastfull vnto vs creepe in through the throng of pleasurs as he that wanted his marriage garment got into the banquet amongst those that were adorned So Aristotl's schollers were delighted in stutting with him and Plato's went crooked in the back in imitation of their Maister There was a certaine woman as Plutarke reporteth whose imagination and apapprehensioÌ„ through sensualitie laye so open to all things that beholding a Blackamors picture she conceiued a child all black by a Father extreamely white and the fact of Iacobs yewes will serue for a proofe of this In fine the pleasure which one takes in a thing is a certaine Herbinger which lodgeth the qualities of the thing which pleaseth in the Louers heart And hence it is that holy CoÌ„placeÌ„â—â— doth traÌ„sforme vs into God whoÌ„ we loue and by how much greater the complacence is by so much the transformatioÌ„ is more perfect so the Saints that loued ardently were speedily and perfectly transformed loue transporting and translating the conditions and qualities of the one heart into the other 3. It is a strang yet a true thing put two Luts together which are vnison that is of the same sound and accord and let one play vpon the one of them the other though not touched will resound to that which is played on the conuenieÌ„cie which is betwixt them as by a naturall loue causing this correspondance We haue difficultie to imitate such as we hate euen in good things not would the Lacedemonians follow the good counsell of the wicked vnlesse some honest man pronounced it after them Of the contrarie side one cannot be keept from coÌ„forming himselfe to such as he loueth In this sense as I thinke the great Apostle saied that the Law was not made for the Iust maÌ„ for in truth the Iust maÌ„ is not Iust but inso much as he hath Loue and if he haue Loue there is no neede to presse him by the rigour of the Law Loue being the most pressing Doctour and Sollicitour to vrge the heart which it possesseth to obay the will and intentioÌ„ of the Beloued Loue is a Magistrat which executs his authoritie without voicing it without PursuiuaÌ„ts or Sergants by this mutually complacence by which as we take pleasure in God so also we desire to please him Loue is the Abridgment of all Diuinitie which made the ignorance of Paules Antonies Hilarioâ—s Simeons Francises so holily learned without bookes Maisters or Art By vertue of this holy Loue the Spouse may pronounce with assurance My Beloued is wholy myne by the Complacence wherwith he doth please and feede me And I by Beneuolence am wholy his wherewith I pleasâ— aÌ„d feede him My heart is fed in taking pleasure in him and his is fed in that I take pleasure in him for him He feeds me iust as a holy shepheard his deare yewe amidst the Lillies of his perfectioÌ„s in which I take pleasure And I as his deare yewe paie him the milke of my affections by which I striue to please him Whosoeuer doth truely feede in God desires faithfully to please God and to conforme himselfe vnto him to th' end he might please him Of the conformitie of Submission which proceeds from the Loue of Beneuolence CHAPTER II. 1. COmplacence then drawes into our hearts the feelings of diuine perfections according as we are capable to receiue them like as the Myrrour receiues the SuÌ„ns picture not according to the excellencie and amplitude of this great and admirable Lampe but with proportion to the glasse its largnesse and capacitie and therby we become conformable to God 2. But besids this LOVE OF BENEVOLENCE brings vs to this holy conformitie by another meanes LOVE OF COMPLACENCE drawes God into our hearts
were held worthy to endure ignominie for their Sauiours name Of the conformitie of our will to Gods will signified in his Commandements CHAPTER V. 1. THe desire which God hath to make vs obserue his Commandements is extreame as the whole Scripture doth witnesse and how could he better expresse it then by the great reward which he proposeth to the obseruers of his law together with the wonderfull punishments which he doth minace to such as shall violate the same This made Dauid crye out ô Lord thou hast very much commanded thy Commandements to be kept 2. Now LOVE OF COMPLACENCE beholding this Diuine desire desires to please God in obseruing it The LOVE OF BENEVOLENCE which submits all to God doth also submit our desires and wills to this which God hath signified vnto vs whence doth spring not onely the obseruance but euen the Loue of the Commandements which Dauid doth extoll in the 118. Psalm in an extraordinarie straine which he seemes onely to haue done vpon this occasion O how thy holy law to me is deare It dayly theames my pen and thoughts doth hold And how ô Lord thy Testimonies beare Away my heart as Topase set in gold If honie be compared to thy sweete WORD Honie turn's gale and doth no sweetes afford But to stirre vp in vs the Loue of the Commandements we must coÌ„template their admirable beautie For as there are workes which are bad because they are prohibited and others prohibited because they are bad so there are some that are good because they are commanded and orthers are commanded because they are Good and most profitable so that all of them are exceeding good and amiable the commandement enriching with goodnesse such as were not otherwise good and giuing an excesse of goodnesse to such as in themselues were good without being commanded We doe not receiue euen that which is good in good part being presented by an enemies hand The Lacedemonians would not follow a solide and wholsome aduise comming from a wicked person till it were aduised them againe by a good man Contrariwise a friends present is alwayes gratefull The sweetest Commandements become bitter when they are imposed by a tyrannicall and cruell heart which turnes againe to be most amiable being ordained by Loue. Iacobs seruice seemed a Royaltie vnto him because it proceeded from Loue. O how sweete and how much to be desired is the yoake of the heauenly Law established by so amiable a king 3. Diuers keepe the commandements as sicke men take downe potions more through feare to die damned then pleasure to liue according to our Sauiours liking But as some persons haue an aduersion from phisike be it neuer so agreeable onely because it beares the name of phisike so there are some soules that abhorre things commanded onely because they are commanded And there was a certaine man found who hauing liued in the great towne of Paris for the space of fourescore yeares without euer going out of it as soone as it was enioyned him by the king that he should remaine there the rest of his dayes he went abrode to see the feilds which in his whole life time before he neuer desired 4. On the other side the louing heart Loues the commandements and by how much more hard they are by so much they are more agreeable because they doe more perfectly please the Beloued and are more honorable vnto him It sends out and sings hymnes of ioye when God doth teach it his Commandements and iustifications And as the Pilgrime who merrily sings on his way add's the paine of singing to that of going aÌ„d yet doth indeede by this surplus of paine vnwearie himselfe and lighten the difficultie of the way Euen so the sacred Louer finds such content in the Commandements that nothing doth so much ease and refresh him as the gracious loade of Gods Commandements wherevpon the holy Psalmist cryes out O Lord thy iustifications or Commandements are delicious songs to me in this place of my pilgrimage They saie that Mules and horses being loaden with figges doe presently fall vnder their burthen and loose their strength More sweete theÌ„ the figge is the law of our Lord but brutall maÌ„ who is become as a horse or Mule without vnderstanding looseth courage and finds not strength to beare this amiable burthen But as a branch of AGNVS CASâ—VS doth keepe the Traueller that beares it about him from being wearie so the Crosse Mortification the yoake the Law of our Sauiour who is the true CHAST LAMBE is a burthen which doth vnwearie refresh and recreate the hearts that Loue his diuine Maiestie There is no paine in the thing beloued or if there be any it is a beloued paine Paine mixed with loue hath a certaine tart-sweetenesse more pleasant to the pallate then a thing purely sweete 5. Thus then doth heaueÌ„ly Loue conforme vs to the will of God and makes vs carefully obserue his commandements as being the absolute desire of his diuine Maiestie whom we desire to please So that this complacence with its sweete and amiable violence doth forerunne the necessitie of obaying that which the law doth impose vpon vs conuerting the necessitie into dilection and the whole difficultie into delight Of the conformitie of our will to Gods signified vnto vs by his Counsells CHAPTER VI. 1. A Commandement doth argue a most entire and absolute will in him that giues it But Counsell doth onely signifie a WILL OF DESIRE A Commandement doth oblige vs Counsell onely incits vs A Commandement makes the Transgressours thereof culpable Counsell makes onely such as follow it not lesse laudable Those that violate Commandements deserue Damnation those that neglect Counsells deserue onely to be-lesse glorified There is a difference betwixt commanding and commending vnto ones care in coÌ„manding we vse authoritie to oblige but in commending vnto ones care we vse curtisie to egge and incite A Commandement doth impose necessitie Counsell and recommendation incits vs to that which is more profitable Obedience corresponds to Commandements beliefe to Counsells We follow Counsell with intention to please and Commandements least we might displease And thence it is that the LOVE OF COMPLACâ—NCE which doth oblige vs to please the beloued doth by consequence vrge vs to follow his Counsells and the LOVE OF BENEVOLENCE which desires that all wills and affections should be subiected vnto him procurs that we doe not onely will that which he ordaines but also that which he counsells and to which he doth exhort like as the Loue and respect which a good child beares vnto his Father makes him resolue to liue not onely according to the Commandements which he doth impose but euen according to the desires and inclinations which he doth manifest 2. Counsell is giuen in fauour of him to whom it is giuen to th' end he might become perfect If thou wilt be perfect saied our Sauiour goe sell all that thou hast giue it to the poore and follow me 3. But a louing heart doth not
and haue Pipins whence other trees and plants of the same kind doe spriÌ„g Neuer doe vertues come to their perfect stature aÌ„d abilitie in vs till such time as they beget in vs a desire of progresse which as spirituall seede serues to the production of new degrees of vertue And me thinks the earth of our heart is coÌ„manded to bring forth the plants of vertue which beare the fruits of good works euery one in his kind and which haue the seedes of a desire and resolution to encrease and aduaÌ„ce in the way of perfection And the vertue that beares not the seede or Pipin of this desire is not yet come to her groth and maturitie Thou wilt not then saieth S. BERNARD to the sluggard a better thy selfe in perfection No nor yet grow worse nor yet that verily Why then dost thou desire neither to amend nor paire Alas poore man thou wouldst be that which thou canst not be Euen in the wide world there is nothing stable and constant yet of man it is saied more particularly that he neuer remaines in one estate He must either goe forward or else he goes backward 4. Nor doe I more then S. BERNARD affirme that it is a sinne not to practise the Counsells no verily THEO for it is the proper difference betwixt Commandements and Counsells that Commandements doe oblige vs vnder paine of sinne Counsell doth onely inuite vs without paine of sinne Yet doe I bouldly auerre that to contemne the pretention of Christian perfection is a great sinne and yet greater to contemne the inuitation by which our Sauiour cals vs to it but it is an insupportable impietie to contemne the Counsells and meanes which our Sauiour markes vs out to the attaining of it It were an Heresie to saie that our Sauiour had not giuen vs good Counsell and a blasphemie to saie to God withdraw thy selfe from vs we will not know thy wayes But it is a horrible irreuerence done to him that with so much loue and delight did inuite vs to perfection to saie I will not be holy or perfect nor will I any larger portion of thy Beneuolence nor will I follow the Counsells which thou giuest me to fructifie therein 5. We may indeede without offence not follow the Counsells for the affection we beare another way as for example it is lawfull for a man not to sell what he possesseth nor giue it to the poore because he hath not the courage to make so entire a renunciation It is also lawfull to marrie because one loues a wife or otherwise hath not strength of mind necessarie to vndertake the warre which must be waged against the flesh But to make profession that one will not follow the CouÌ„sells nor any one of them cannot be done without contempt of him that giues them Not to follow the Counsell for that one hath an intention to marrie is not euill done but so to marrie as to preferre marriage before chastitie with heritikes is a great contempt either of the Counsellour or of his Counsell To drinke wine against the Doctors aduise when one is ouercome with thrist or with a desire to drinke is not properly to contemne the Doctor nor his aduise but to saie I will not follow the Doctors aduise must necessarily proceede froÌ„ some bad opinion one harbours of him Now as concerning men one may often contemne their Counsell without contemning them because to esteeme that a man doth erre is not to contemne him But to reiect and contemne Gods Counsell cannot spring but from a conceite we haue that he hath not Counselled vs well which cannot be thought but by a Spirit of Blasphemie as though God were not wise enough to know or good enough to will to giue good aduise We may saie the same of the Counsells of the Church which by reason of the continuall assistance of the holy ghost which doth instruct and conduct her in all truth can neuer giue euill aduise A continuation of the precedent discourse how euery one ought to loue though not to practise the Euangelicall Counsells and yet how euery one is to practise what he is able CHAPTER IX 1. Allthough all the Euangelicall Counsells cannot nor ought not to be practised by euery Christian in particular yet is euery one obliged to loue them all they being all very good If you haue the Megrim and the smell of muke doe anoie you will you therefore disauowe that this smell is good and delightsome If a Robe of gold be not fit for you will you thence saie that it is worth nothing or will you throw a ring into the â—urt because it fits not your finger Praise therefore THEOT and dearely affect all the Counsells that God hath giuen vnto men O blessed be the Angell of the high CouÌ„sell for euer together with the Counâ—ell he giues and exhortations he makes to man The heart is cheared vp with oyntments and good smells saieth Salomon and by the good Counsell of a friend the soule is calmed But of what friend and of what Counsells doe we speake ô God it is of the friend of friends and his CouÌ„sells are more delightâ—ull then honie Our friend is our Sauiour his Counsells are to saue vs. 2. Let vs reioyce THEO when we see others vndertake the Counsells which either we cannot or ought not to obserue Le ts praie for them blesse fauour and assist them For Charitie doth oblige vs not onely to loue our owne good but that also which is good for our neighbour 3. We may sufficiently testifie our loue to all the Counsells if we deuotely obserue such as are sutable to our calling for euen as he that beleeues an Article of Faith before God reuealed it in his word published and declared it by the Church cannot misbeleeue the others and he that obserues one Commandement for the pure Loue of God is readie to obserue the others when occasion shall be offered So he that doth loue and prize one Euangelicall Counsell because it came from God he cannot but loue all the others consequently being they are also from God Now we may with ease practise many of them though not all of them together for God deliuered many to the end euery one might obserue some of them nor doth there passe a day wherein we haue not some occasion thereof 4. Doth Charitie require that to assist thy Father or mother thou shouldst liue with them conserue notwithstanding a loue and affection to your recollection let your heart liue at your Fathers house so farre forth as is requisit to acquit your selfe of that which Charitie doth order Is it not expedient your qualitie considered that you should conserue perfect chastitie keepe it at least in such sort as you may without violating charitie Who cannot doe all at least let him doe a part you are not obliged to looke after him that hath offended you for it is his part to come to himselfe and to you to giue you satisfaction since he began the
it doth not onely heate but also giue a perfect light his Spirit being an infinite light whose vitall breath is called Inspiration for so much as by it the Diuine Goodnesse doth breath vpon vs and inspire vs with the desires and intentions of his owne heart 2. Now God doth inspire vs by infinite meanes S. ANTONIE S. FRANCIS S. ANSELME and a thousand others had frequent inspirations by the sight of crearurs preaching is the ordinarie meanes but sometimes such as the word profits not are taught by tribulation according to the Prophet vexation shall giue vnderstanding in the Hearing that is such as by hearing the heauely menaces against the wicked doe not amend shall be taught the truth by the euents and effects and by the gripe of affliction become wise S. MARIE Egip was inspired by the sight of our Ladies picture S. ANTONIE by hearing the Ghospell which is red at Masse S. AVGVSTINE vpon the relation of S. ANTONIES life The Duke of Gandie by looking vpon the dead Empresse S. PACOMIVS by an Example of Charitie The B. Ignatius Loyola in reading the Saints liues S. CYPRIAN not the great Bishope of Carthage but a lay-man yet a glorious Martyr was touched in hearing the diuell confesse his owne impotencie ouer such as are confident in God When I was a young youth at Paris two scholers whereof the one was ā Heretike deboistly passing the night in the Suburbs of S. Iames heard the Carthusiās ringe to Matins ād the Heretike askīg the other why they rūg he related vnto hī with what deuotion they celebrated the Diuine office in that holy Monasterie· ô God quoth he how differēt is the practise of those Religious frō ours They performe the office of Angels and we that of brute beastes and desiring the day after to see that which by his companions relation he had learnt he found the good Fathers on their formes as a companie of marble statues ranged a long the wall in their hollow seates immoueable to all action but singing of Psalmes which they performed with a truly angelicall attention and deuotion according to the custome of this holy Order So that this poore youth wholy rauished with admiration was taken with the exceeding consolation which he tooke to see God so well worshipped amongst Catholikes and resolued which afterward he fulfilled to put himselfe into the Church her bosome his true and onely Spouse who had visited him in his inspiration while he was laied on the infamous bed of abomination 3. O how happie are they that keepe their hearts open to holy inspirations which are neuer awāting to any so farre forth as they are necessarie to liue well and deuotely according to each ones condition of life and holily to complie with the duties of their profession for as God by nature doth furnish euery beast with the instincts which are necessarie to their conseruation and to the exercise of their naturall qualities so if we resist not Gods grace he bestowes on euery one of vs inspirations necessarie for our life operation and spirituall conseruation O Lord saied the faithfull Eliezer here I stand at this fountaine and the daughters of the inhabitāts of this Citie will come forth to draw water the yoūg girle then to whom I shall saie let downe thy pitcher that I may drinke and who shall answere Drinke yea and I will also giue to thy Camells she it is whom thou hast prepared for thy seruant Isaac THEO Eliezer giues her onely to vnderstand that he himselfe would drinke but the faire Rebecca obeying the inspiration which God of his clemencie bestowed vpon her doth offer withall to water his Camells Hence she became holy Isaac's wife daughter-in-law to the great Abraham and grand-mother to our Sauiour Certes the soules which are not contented with effecting that which the heauenly Spouse requires at their hands by his Commandements and Counsells but doe also promptly complie with sacred inspirations are those whom the Eternall Father hath prouided for Spouses to his well-beloued Sonne And concerning the good Eliezer hauing no other grounds to discerne her amongst the daughters of Haran a towne of Nachor who was desined for his Maisters sonne God reueals it vnto him by inspiratiō When we are at a non-plus and humane helps doe faile vs in our perplexities God doth then inspire vs nor will he permit that we should erre while we humbly obeye I will saie no more of these necessarie inspirations hauing often alreadie spoken of them in this worke as also in the Introduction Of the vnion of our will to Gods in the inspirations which are giuen for the extraordinarie practise of vertues and of perseuerance in ones vocation the first marke of the inspiration CHAPTER XI 1. THere are certaine Inspirations which tend onely to an extraordinarie perfection of the ordinarie exercises of Christian life Charitie towards poore infirme people is an ordinarie exercise with true Christians yet an ordinarie exercise which was practised by S. FRANCIS with an extraordinarie perfection as also by S. Catharine of Sienna when she licked and sucked the vlcers of the Leprous and Cankred and by the glorious S. LEWES when bare-head and vpon his knees he serued the sicke whereat an Abbot of Cisteau loosed himselfe in admiration seeing him in this posture handle and dresse the running and cankered wounds of a miserable wretch as it was also a very extraordinarie exercise that the holy Monarke should serue the most abiect and vile poore people at table and eate their leauings S. HIEROME entertaining in his Hospitall at Bethleem the Pilgrims of Europe who fled the persecution of the Goths did not onely wash their feete but descended euen so low as to wash and rub their Camels leggs imitating Rebecca whom we lately mentioned who did not onely draw water for Eliezer but for his Camells also S. FRANCIS did not onely practise pouerrie in an extreamitie as is knowen to all but euen exercised simplicitie in the like measure He redeemed a lambe fearing it should be put to slaughter because it represented our Sauiour he bore a respect almost to all Creaturs in respect of their Creatour by an vnaccustomed yet most prudent simplicitie Now and then he would busie himselfe to withdraw wormes out of the way least some in passing should trāple thē vnder their feete remēbring that our Sauiour had compared himselfe to the worme He called the Creaturs his brothers and sisters by a certaine admirable consideration which loue suggested vnto him S. ALEXIS a gentleman of a noble descent practised in an excellent manner the abiection of himselfe liuing vnkowen for the space of 17. yeares in his Fathers house at Rome in the nature of a poore pilgrime All these inspirations were for ordinarie exercise which notwithstanding were practised with extraordinarie perfection In this kind of inspiration we are to obserue the rules which I gaue for desirs in the Introduction We must not striue to practise many exercises at once and vpon a
finding themselues sure they put on againe their womans habit and returning to Sea they went to the towne Mylasla in Carâ—â— whither the great S. PAVLE who had found her in Co and had taken her vnder his spirituall protection led her and where afterwards being made Bishop he did so piously direct her that she erected a Monasterie and dedicated it to serue the Church in qualitie of DIACONESSES as in those dayes they were named with such feruour of Charitie that in the end she died a Saint and by a number of miracles which God did by her Relikes and intercessions was acknowledged for such To put on an attire proper to a diuers Sexe and in a disguised manner to expose ones selfe to a iourney together with men doth not onely passe the extraordinarie rules of Christian modestie but is euen contrarie to them A certaine young man hauing giuen his mother a kicke with his foote touched with a liuely repentance confessed it to S. ANTONIE of Padua who to imprint the horrour of his sinne more deepely in his heart saied vnto him amoÌ„gst other things my child the foote which serued for an instrument of wickednesse would deserue to be cut off for so great a trespasse which the youth tooke in so good earnest that being returned home to his mother transported with the feeling of contrition he cut of his foote the Saints words had not had such force according to their ordinarie qualitie vnlesse God had added his inspiration therevnto yea an inspiration so extraordinarie that it was esteemad rather a temptatioÌ„ if the miracle of his reunited foote caused by the Saints benediction had not authorised it S. PAVLE the first Hermite S. ANTONIE S. MARIE EGIPTIACA did not inhabite the vast wildernesse where they were depriued of hearing Masse communicating and confessing yea of all direction and assistance being young people without a strong inspiration The great SYMEON STYLITE led a life that neuer mortall creature would haue dream't of or haue vndertaken without an heaueÌ„ly instinct and assistance SAINT IOHN Bishop surnamed SILENTIARIVS forsaking his Bishoprike without the knowledge of any of his Clergie passed the rest of his dayes in the Monasterie of Laura nor was there after any newes heard of him Was not this contrarie to the rule of keeping a holy Residence And the great S. PAVLINE who sold himselfe to ransome a poore widowes sonne how could he doe it following the ordinarie lawes since he was not his owne but by his Episcopale consecration belonged to the Church and the Common The Virgins and wiues who being pursued for their beautie with voluntarie wounds disfigured their faces that vnder the maske of an holy deformitie they might conserue their chastitie did they not in appareÌ„ce prohibited things 2. Now the best marke of good inspirations in generall and particularly of extraordinarie ones is the peace and tranquillitie of the heart that receiues them for though the holy Ghost be truely violent yet is his violence sweete delicate and peaceable he comes as a blast of winde and as an heaueÌ„ly thunder-clape but he doth not ouerthrow the Apostles he troubles them not the feare which they had in hearing the noyse was of no continuance but was sodainly followed with a sweete assurance So that this fire seates it selfe vpon each of them where it giues and takes a sacred repose and as our Sauiour is called a peaceablâ— oâ— gentle Salomon so is his Spouse termed Sunamite calme and Daughter of Peace and the voice that is the inspiration of God doth not in any sort disquiet or trouble but drawes her so sweetely that he makes her soule deliciously melt and runne into him My soule quoth she melted when my Beloued spoke and though she be warlike and Martiall yet is she withall so peaceable that in the discord of weapons and warrs she maintaines the concord of an incomparable melodie What can you see saied she in the Sunamite but troupes of armed men Her armies consist of troupes that is of concords and singers and her troupes are armed men because the weapons of the Church and of the deuote soule are no other thing then Praiers Hymes Canticles and Psalmes So that seruants of God which had the most high and sublime inspirations were the most milde and peaceable that the world had Abraham Isaac Iacob Moyses are enstyled the most milde amongst men Dauid is famous for his mildnesse Whereas Contrariwise the Euill Spirit is turbulent rough stirring and those that follow hellish suggestions apprehending them to be heauenly inspirations are commonly easily knowen being disquieted headie fierce enterprisers and sticklers in affaires who vnder the cloake of Zeale doe turne all topce-turnie censure all the world chide euery one find fault with all things they are a people that will not be directed by or condiscend to any they will beare with nothing but exercise the passions of selfe-loue vnder the title of Zeale of Gods honour The third Marke of the Inspiration which is holy obedience to the Church and Superiours CHAPTER XIII 1. HOly humilitie is inseparably adioyned to the peace and sweetenesse of heart But I doe not terme a complementall ranging of words gestures and kissings of the ground obeissance inclinations humilitie being done as it often fals out without any inward sense of our owne abiection and of the iust conceite we make of our neighbour for these are but the vaine amusemeÌ„ts of a weake braine and are rather to be termed fantomes of humilitie then humilitie 2. I speake of a noble reall pithie and solide humilitie which makes vs supple to correction pliable and prompt to obedience While the incomparable Simeon Stylite was yet a Nouice at Toledo he could not be stirred by his Superiours aduise who sought to reclame him from the practise of so many strang austerities by which he was inordinatly cruell to hiÌ„selfe so that at leÌ„gth he was turned out of the Monasterie vpon it as one that was incapable of the mortificatioÌ„ of the miÌ„d aÌ„d too much addicted to that of the bodie but beiÌ„g recalled againe to the Monasterie aÌ„d become more deuote aÌ„d prudeÌ„t in spirituall life his behauiour was quite other as in the ensuing action he declared for the Hermits which were disperced in the neighbour Deserts of Antioche hauing notice of the extraordinarie life which he led vpon the Pillar in which he seemed to be either an earthly Angell or a neauenly maÌ„ they dispatched a Deputie with order to speake vnto him from them as followeth Why dost thou Simeon leauing the high way of perfection which so great and holy Forerunners haue troden follow another vncouth and farre different from all that hath bene seene or heard to this day Simeon forsake the Pillar and sort thy selfe with others as well in their manner of life aâ— in their methode of seruing God vsed by our holy Auncesters In case Simeon yeelding to their aduise and condescending to their pleasures should shew himselfe readie to descend they had
heart for the obstinacie of the Iewes 2. Yet be sinners neuer so obstinate let vs neuer desist to aide and assist them for what doe we know but they may doe pennance and be saued happie is he that can saie to his neighbour as did S. Paule I haue neither ceased night nor day to admonish euery of you with teares and therefore I am cleare of your blood for I haue not bene sparing in denouncing vnto you Gods good pleasure in euery behalfe So lōg as there remaines any hope that the sinner will amend which alwayes remaines as long as life we must neuer reiect him but praie for him and assist him as farre forth as his miserie will permit 3. But lastly after we haue wept ouer the obstinate and performed towards them the good offices of Charitie in essaying to reclame them from perdition we must imitate our Sauiour and the Apostles that is we must remoue our mind from thence and place it vpon other obiects and imployments more to the aduancement of Gods glorie We were first saied the Apostles to the Iewes to announce the word of God vnto you but whereas you reiect it and make your selues vnworthy of the raigne of IESVS-CHRIST we will betake our selues to the Gentils The kingdome of God saieth our Sauiour shall be taken from you and shall be giuen to a nation that will make some profit of it Nor can one indeede spend much time in bewailing some few without loosing time fit and necessarie to procure the saluation of others It is true indeede the Apostle saieth that the losse of the Iewes is a cōtinuall corrasiue vnto him yet he spoke it in no other sense then we saie that we praise God continually for we meane no other thing thereby then that we praise him very frequently and in euery occasion and in the same manner the glorious S. Paule felt a continuall griefe in his heart caused by the Iewes reprobation for that in euery occasion he bemoaned their mishape 4. For the rest we must for euer adore Loue and praise God's reuenging and punishing IVSTICE as we loue his MERCY being both daughters of his goodnesse For as he is good yea soueraignly good he makes vs good by his grace by his IVSTICE he punisheth sinne because he hates it and he hates it for that being soueraignly good he hates the soueraigne euill which is iniquitie And in conclusion note that God doth neuer otherwise withdraw his MERCY from vs then by the iust vengāce of his punishing IVSTICE nor doe we euer escape the rigour of his IVSTICE but by his iustifying MERCY and howsoeuer whether he punish or gratifie vs his good pleasure is worthy of adoration loue and euerlasting praise So the Iust who sing the praises of Gods MERCY for such as haue wrought their owne saluation shall reioyce euen in seeing Gods vengance The Blessed shall with ioye approue the Sentence of the Reprobats damnation as well as that of the Elects saluation And the Angels hauing exercised their Charitie towards those that they had in keeping shall remaine in peace while they see them obstinate yea euen damned We are therefore to submit our selues to the Diuine will and kisse the right hand of his MERCY and the left hand of his IVSTICE with an equall Reuerence How the puritie of Indifferencie is practised in the actions of holy Loue. CHAPTER IX 1. THe most excellent Musician of the Vniuersitie and one that had a skeelfull hād vpō the Lute became in time so deadly deafe that his hearing serued him for nothing yet ceased he not for all that to sing and to handle his Lute marueilous delicatly by reasō of the perfect habite which he had therein whereof his deafenesse did not depriue him But taking no pleasure in his song nor yet in the sound of his Lute as being depriued of his hearing he could not perceiue the sweetenesse and delight of it so that he neither sung nor plaied saue onely to content a Prince whose natiue subiect he was and whom he infinitely desired to please as hauing an infinite obligatiō vnto him for his breeding from his childhood Hence he tooke an incomparable delight to delight him and when his Prince made shew to be delighted in his musike he was rauished with delight But it happened sometimes that the Prince to make triall of this louing Musician's loue gaue him order to sing and presently vpon it leauing him there wēt a hunting yet the desire which this Chaunter had to accomplish his Maisters desires made him continue his musike as attentiuely as though his Prince had bene present though in very deede he had no content in his owne song for he neither had the pleasure of the Melodie whereof his deafenesse depriued him nor the content of pleasing his Prince who being absent could not enioye the sweetenesse and pleasure of the ayre which he sung My heart to sing is readie and dispos'd A hymne in honour of thy name compos'd My soule and spirit ardently essayes To sing thy praise Vp then my glorie vp and quit thy rest In Harpe ād Psaltere let our lord be bles't Mans heart is the true Chaunter of the Canticle of sacred Loue himselfe the HARPE or PSALTER Now ordinarily this Chaunter is his owne auditorie taking a great pleasure in the Melodie of his song I meane our heart louing God doth taste the delights of this Loue and takes an incomparable contentment to loue so louely an obiect Marke I praie you THEO what I would saie The Little young Nightingales doe first essaie a beginning of song by imitating the old one but hauing got skill and passing Maisters they sing for the pleasure which they take in their owne song and doe so passhionatly addict themselues to this delight as I haue saied in an other place that by striuing to send out their voice their weseele bursting they send out their life So our hearts in the beginning of deuotion loue God that they may be vnited and become gratefull vnto him and imitate him in that he hath loued vs for all eternitie but by little and little being formed and exercised in holy Loue they are imperceptibly changed and in lieu of louing God to please God they begin to Loue him for the pleasure they take in the exercises of holy Loue and insteede of falling in Loue with God they fall in Loue with the Loue they beare him and stand affected to their owne affections not taking any more pleasure in God but in the pleasure they take in his Loue contenting themselues with this Loue because it is theirs that it is in their heart whence it proceedes for though this sacred Loue be called the Loue of God because God is loued by it yet it is also ours we being the Louers that Loue by it And herevpon we come to chang for insteede of louing this holy Loue for that it tends to God who is the beloued we Loue it because it proceedes from vs who are
whither the King Goes She would also haue made answere he told me in generall howbeit I care not for knowing that desiring onely to accompanie him And if one had replied why then Madame you haue no designe in this iorney No would she haue saied I haue no other but to be with my deare Soueraigne and husband Why but might one haue saied vnto her he goes into Egipte to passe into PALESTINE he will lodge at DAMIETA in ACREA ād in many places besids doe not you intend Madame to goe thither to To this she would haue made answere no in truth I haue no intention saue onely to keepe my selfe neere my King as for the places whither he goes they are all indifferent to me nor doe they enter into my thoughts but in so much as he shall be there I goe without desire of going for I affect nothing but the Kings presence It is therefore the King that goes he that designes the iorney but as for me I goe not I followe onely I desire not the iorney but the onely presence of the King to goe or to staie and all sorts of contrarietie being indifferent to me 3. Certes if one demand of a seruant that is of his Maisters traine whither he goes he is not to answere that he is to goe to such or such a place but onely that he is to follow his Maister for he goes no where vpō his owne accord but at his Maisters pleasure onely In like manner THEO a will perfectly resigned to God's is not to haue any will of her owne but is simply to follow God's And as one in a Shipe doth not moue by his owne motiō but leaues himselfe to be moued by the Motion of the Vessell in which he is so the heart that is embarked in the diuine pleasure ought to haue no other will then that of permitting it selfe to be conducted by the Diuine will And then the heart doth not as before saie thy will be done not myne for there is now no will to be renounced but it pronounceth these words Lord I put my will into thy hands euen as though it had not its will in its owne disposing but at the disposition of the Diuine prouidence So that it is not properly in this manner that Seruants follow their Maisters for albeit the iorney be vndertaken at their Maisters pleasure yet is their following performed by their owne particular will by a will notwithstanding that is follower seruant subiect and thraule to the will of their Maister So that as the Maister ād seruāt are two so the will of the Maister and the will of the seruant are also two But the will which is dead to her selfe that she may liue to Gods is without any particular will remaining not onely conformable and subiect but euen annihilated in herselfe to be cōuerted into Gods as one might saie of a little child who hath not yet got the vse of his will to Loue or desire any thing saue the vse of his deare mothers breastes for he decernes not of which side he would rather be or any other thing else except onely to be betwixt his mothers tresses with whom he esteemes himselfe one same thing neuer troubling himselfe how he should conforme his will to his mothers for he perceiues not his owne nor doth he think he hath any leauing all the care to his mother to goe to doe and to will what she iudgeth profitable for him 4 It is truely the highest perfection of our will to be thus vnited to our soueraigne good as was his who saied ô Lord thou hast conducted and led me in the way of thy will for what would he haue saied but that he had made no vse of his owne will to conduct himselfe but simply left the conduct and command thereof to the will of God An explanation of that which hath bene saied touching the decease of our will CHAPTER XIV 1. IT is credible that the most sacred virgine our Ladie receiued so much content in carrying her little IESVS betwixt her armes that delight beguiled wearinesse or at least made it delightfull for if a branch of AGNVS CHASTVS can solace and vnwearie Trauaillers what solace did not the GLORIOVS MOTHER receiue in carrying the immaculate LAMBE of God And though she permitted him now and then to rūne a foote by her weelding him by the hand yet was it not that she would not rather haue had him hāging about her necke and breasts but it was to teach him to forme his steps and walke alone And we THEO as the little children of the heauenly Father may walke with him in two sorts for we may either take the steps of our owne will which we conforme to his holding alwayes in the hand of our obedience his Diuine intention and following it wheresoeuer it shall leade vs which God requires at our hands by the signification of his will for since his will is that I should doe his ordonance his will is also that I haue a will to doe it God hath signified vnto me that his will is I should keepe holy the Saboth day since therefore he will haue me to doe it he will also that I haue a will to doe it and for this end that I haue a will of myne owne by which I follow his by correspondance and conformitie But we may also walke with our Sauiour without any will of our owne by casting our selues simply vpon the Diuine pleasure as a little child in his mothers armes by a certaine admirable kind of consent which may be termed VNION or rather vnitie of our heart with Gods And this is the way that we are to endeuour to comport our selues in GODS WILL OF GOOD PLEASVRE for so much as the effects of this WILL OF GOOD PLEASVRE doe proceede purely from his Prouidence and doe come vnto vs without our labour True it is we may desire their cōming according to Gods will and this is a good desire yet we may also receiue the euents of Heauens good pleasure by a most simple tranquillitie of our will while willing nothing we doe in simplicitie of heart giue way to all that God would haue done in vs on vs or by vs. 2. If one had asked the sweete IESVS when he was carried in his mothers armes whither he went too might he not with good reason haue answered I goe not t' is my mother that goes for me And if one had saied to him but at least doe not you goe with your mother might he not reasonably haue replied no I doe not goe or if I goe whither my Mother carries me I neither goe with her nor by myne owne steps but by my mothers by her and in her But if one had yet gone further with him saying surely ô most deare Diuine child thy will is that thy sweete mother should carrie thee no verily might he haue saied I will none of all this but as my entirely good mother walkes for me so
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
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
he loues the Diuine Bountie Soueraignely And hauing once made this kind of donation of himselfe he is to loue nothing that can remoue his heart from God Now neuer doth any loue take our hearts from God saue that which is contrarie vnto him 3. SARA is not offended to spie ISMAEL about her deare ISAAC while his dalliance with ISMAEL is not to slight or disparage her nor is God offended to see other loues liue in vs besids his while we doe conserue for him the reuerence and respect due vnto him 4. Verily THEOT in heauen God will giue himselfe wholy to all and not by halfs since he is a WHOLE that hath no parts yet will he giue himselfe diuersly and with varieties equall to the varietie of the Blessed for though he giue himselfe wholy to all and wholy to each one yet will he neuer giue himselfe totally neither to any one in particular nor to all in generall And we shall giue our selues to him according to the measure in which he giues himselfe to vs For we shall see him indeede face to face as he is in his Beautie and shall loue him heart to heart as he is in his Bountie yet all shall not see him with an equall brightnesse nor loue him with an equall sweetenesse but euery one shall see and loue him according to their particular portion of glorie which the Diuine Prouidence hath prepared for them We shall equally all haue the fulnesse of Diuine Loue marry that fullnesse shall be vnequall in perfection The honie of Narbone is sweete and so is also that of Paris both of them are full of sweetenesse but the one of a sweetenesse better finer aÌ„d more vigorous and though both of them be entirely sweete yet is neither of them totally sweete I doe homage to my Soueraigne Prince as also to him that is next vnto him I present therefor my loyaltie as well to the one as to the other of them yet doe I present it to neither of them totally For in that which I exhibit to my Soueraigne I doe not exclud that which is due to his vaâ—sall next to him nor doe I in this includ that Wherefore it is no wonder if in Heauen where these words THOV SHALT LOVE THE LORD Tâ—Y GOD WITH ALL THY Hâ—ART shall be so excellently practised there be great differences in loue sith we see such diuersitie euen in this mortall life 5. THEO not onely of such as loue God with all their heart some loue him more and some lesse but euen one and the same doth oft passe himselfe in this soueraigne exercise of louing God aboue all things Appelles did at sometimes haÌ„dle his Pencell better then at others sometimes euen out striping himselfe For though commonly he put all his art and all his attention to draw out ALEXANDER THE GREAT yet did he neuer employe it so totally and entirely that he had not yet other tricks of art by which though he neither put to 't more skill nor more affection yet he did it more liuely and perfectly He alwayes imployed all his wit to the good performance of this Table of ALEXANDER because he vsed it without reserue yet sometimes he did it with more grace and felicitie Who knowes not that we make progresse in this holy Loue aÌ„d that the end of Saints is crowned with a more perfect loue theÌ„ their beginning 6. Now according to the phrase of holy Scripture to doe a thing with all ones heart imports onely to doe it willingly and without reserue O Lord saieth Dauid I haue sought thee with all my heart Lord heare me and the holy WORD testifieth that he had truely followed God with his whole heart and yet not withstanding all that it affirmes also that Ezechias had not his equall amoÌ„gst all the kings of Iuda neither before nor after him that he was vnited to God and straied not from him Afterwards treating of IOSIAS it saieth that he had not his fellow amongst all the kings either before or after hiÌ„ that he returned to God with all his heart with all his soule with all his force according to the whole law of MOYSES nor did there any that followed him rise like vnto him Marke then I praie you THEO marke how DAVID EZECHIAS and IOSIAS loued GOD with all their hearts and yet not all three with an equall dilection because some of them had not their like in this Loue as the Sacred Text witnessed All the three loued him each of them with all their heart yet did nere a one of them seperatly nor all three ioyntly Loue him totally but euery one in his particular way so that as all the three were a like in this that they gaue their whole heart so were they vnlike in their manner of deliuering it yea there is no doubt at all but that DAVID taken a part was farre different from himselfe in this Loue and that with his second heart which God created pure and cleane in him and his right Spirit which he renewed in his bowels by holy Penance he sung the Canticle of Loue farre more melodiously then euer he had done with his first heart and Spirit 7. All true Louers are equall in this that all giue all their heart to God and with all their force but vnequall in the diuersitie of giuing it whence one giues all his heart with all his force yet lesse perfectly then the others Some giues it it all by Martyrdome all by virginitie all by puritie all by action all by contemplation all by a pastorall function and though all giue it all by the obseruance of the Commandements yet doth some one giue it with lesse perfection then the others 8. EueÌ„ so IACOB hiÌ„selfe who was called the HOLY-of-GOD in DANIEL and whoÌ„ God protesteth that he loued confesseth ingeniously that he had serue LABAN with all his strength and why did he serue LABAN but to obtaine RACHEL whom he loued with all his forces He serues LABAN with all his forces he serues GOD with all his forces he Loues RACHEL with all his forces he Loues GOD with all his forces yet Loues he not RACHEL as GOD nor GOD as RACHEL He Loues GOD as his God aboue all things and more then himselfe he Loues RACHEL in qualitie of a wife and as himselfe he Loues God with an absolute and soueraignely supreame Loue and RACHEL with the cheefest nuptiall Loue. Nor is the one of the Loues contrarie to the other since that of RACHEL doth not violate the priuiledges and soueraigne aduantages of the Loue of GOD. 9. So that our Loue to God THEO takes its worth from the eminencie and excellencie of the motiue for which and according to which we Loue him in that we Loue him for his soueraigne infinite goodnesse as God and according as he is God Now one drope of this Loue is better of more force and value then all the other Loues that can euer enter into the hearts or amongst the Quires
she is forced to vnwearie her selfe she will onely cleeue by the smale twigs of trees vpon which she hangs in the aire out of which or without which she can neither flie nor repose And euen so these great soules doe not in very deede Loue the Creaturs in themselues but in their Creatour and their Creatour in them But if they cleeue to any creature by the law of Charitie it is onely to repose in God the onely and finall aime of their Loue. So that finding God in the Creaturs and the Creaturs in God they Loue God indeede not the Creaturs as they that fishing for Pearles find them in their shelles doe esteeme their fishing made for pearles onely 4. For the rest I doe not thinke that there was euer any mortall Creature that loued the heauenly Spouse with this matchlesse Loue so perfectly pure except the Virgin who was his Spouse ād Mother both together but cōtrariwise as touching the practise of these foure differences of Loue on can hardly be any long time without passing from one of them to another The Soules which as young wenches are as yet intangled in diuers vaine and dangerous affections are not sometimes without hauing the most pure and excellent touches of Loue but being but glimpse and passing lightnings one cannot therevpon rightly saie that such soules are got out of the state of young girles which are Nouices and Printises It happens also sometimes that the soules that are in the degree of onely and perfect Louers doe much relent and waxe cold yea euen to the committing and falling into troublesome veniall sinns as may be gathered by many bitter contentions stirred vp amongst Gods great seruants yea euen amongst some of the Diuine Apostles who as we cannot denie fell into some imperfections by which notwithstanding Charitie was not violated yet the feruour thereof was troubled Howbeit whereas ordinarily those great soules loued God with a Loue perfectly pure we are not to denie that they were in the state of perfect Loue. For how oft doe we see that good trees though they neuer bring forth any venemous fruit yet doe they produce raw and vnripe ones corrupted with misseltoe or mosse So the great Saints neuer fell into mortall sinne yet fell they easily into fruitlesse actions and such as are greene bitter harsh and ill tasted And as euen in these circumstances we must confesse that those trees are fruitfull otherwise they could not be called good so are we in no sort to denie that some of their fruit was fruitlesse For who cā denie that the misseltoe and mosse of trees is an vnprofitable fruit and who can also denie that smale angers and minute excesses of ioye of laughter of vanitie and of other the like passions are vnprofitable and vnlawfull motions and yet the Iust man brings them forth seauen times a day that is very often That the Loue of God aboue all things is common to all Louers CHAPTER VI. 1. Though there be so sundrie degrees of Loue amongst true Louers yet is there but one Commandement of Loue onely which doth generally and equally oblige euery one with a wholy like and entirely equall obligation though it be differētly obserued and with an infinite varietie of perfections there being peraduenture was few soules found in earth as Angels in Heauen perfectly equall in Loue seeing that as one starre differs from another in brightnesse so shall the Blessed in their Resurrection where euery one sings a Canticle of Glorie and receiues a name knowen to none but to him that receiues it But what degree of Loue is it to which the Diuine Commandement doth equally vniuersally and continually oblige all 2. It was a peece of the holy Ghosts prouidence that in our ordinarie version which his Diuine Maiestie hath canonized and sanctified by the Councell of Trent the heauenly Commandement of Loue is expressed in the word DILECTION rather then by the word LOVE for albeit that DILECTION be a kind of Loue yet is it not a simple Loue but a Loue of choice and election which sense the word it selfe carries as the glorious S. THOMAS doth note for this cōmandemēt doth inioyne vs a Loue chosen out of thousands like to him to whom it is due who as the beloued Sunamite markes him out in the Canticles is one elected out of thousands It is Loue that is to haue power ouer all our affections and is to raigne ouer all our passions and that which God exacteth of vs is that of all our Loues his may be the most cordiall bearing rule ouer our heart the most affectionate possessing our whole soule the most generall applying all our powers the highest replenishing our whole heart and the most solide exercising all our strength and prowise And whereas by this we doe choose and elect God for the Soueraigne obiect of our soule it is a Loue of Soueraigne Election or an election of Soueraigne Loue. 3. You are not ignorant THEO that there are diuers species of Loue as for example there is a fatherly Loue a brotherly Loue a filiall Loue and a nuptiall Loue a Loue of societie of obligation of dependance and an hundred more which are all different in excellencie and so proportioned to their obiects that scarcely can they be applied or appropriated to any other He that should affect his Father with the Loue of a brother onely should come short of his dutie He that should Loue his wife in qualitie of a Father onely he should not loue her sufficiently He that should loue his Lackey as his owne child would be esteemed impertinent Loue is as honour for as honour is diuersified according to the diuersitie of excellencies to which it is attributed so Loues are diuers according to the diuersitie of the GOOD which is loued Soueraigne honour is due to Soueraigne Excellencie and Soueraigne loue to the Soueraigne Good The loue of God is a loue without comparison because the goodnesse of God is incomparable Harke Israel Thy God is the sole Lord and therefore thou shalt loue him with thy whole soule thy whole vnderstanding thy whole strength For God is the onely Lord and his goodnesse is infinitly aboue all goodnesse and he is to be loued with a loue which is eminent excellent and puissant beyond all comparison It is this supreame loue that placeth God in such esteeme amidst our soules and makes vs repute it so great a happinesse to be gracious in his sight that we preferre him before and loue him aboue all things Now THEOT doe you not plainly see that he that loues God in this sort hath dedicated his whole soule and strength to God sith for euer and in all occurrences he will preferre Gods honour before all things keeping himselfe in a readinesse to forsake the whole world to preserue the loue which is due to the Diuine Goodnesse And in somme it is the loue of Excellencie or the Excellencie of loue which is cōmanded to all mortalls in generall and
each one of them in particular from their first vse of reason A loue sufficient for euery one and necessarie for all that will be saued An illustration of the former chapter CHAPTER VII 1. VVE doe not alwayes clearely know nay not at all certainely at least by a certaintie of Faith whether we haue the true loue of God requisite to our saluation yet haue we diuers markes thereof amōgst which the most assured and in a manner infallible is seene in the opposition which the loue of creaturs makes against our designes of God's loue For in that occurrence if Diuine Loue raigne in the soule it makes appeare the force of the credit and authoritie which it hath ouer the will shewing by effects not onely that he hath no Maister but that he hath euen no equall repressing and prostrating all opposition and making his intentions be obeyed When the accursed companie of hellish spirits reuolting from their Creatour essayed to draw to their faction the troupes of the Blessed Spirits the glorious S. MICHAEL encouraging his fellow-soldiers to the loyaltie which they ought to their God cried Marry after an Angelicall manner with a loude voice through out the streets of the Heauenly Hierusalem WHO IS LIKE TO GOD And in this word he ouerthrew that Traitor Lucifer with his route who equalized themselues to the Diuine maiestie and thence as it is saied S. MICHAELS name was imposed since that MICHAEL imports no other thing then WHO IS LIKE TO GOD And when the loue of created things would draw our hearts to their PARTIE to make vs disobedient to the Diuine Maiestie if the great diuine loue be found in the soule it makes head against it as an other MICHAEL and makes good the powers and forces of the soule to Gods seruice by this word of assurance WHO IS LIKE TO GOD What beautie doth there appeare in creaturs which ought to draw man's heart to a rebellion against the soueraigne bountie of God 2. As soone as that holy and braue gentleman Ioseph perceiued that the loue of his Mistresse tended to the ruine of that which was due to his Maister ah quoth he be it farre from me that I should violate the respect which I owe to my Maister who reposeth so much trust in me how can I then admit this crime and sinne against my God marke THEO marke how there are three loues in the louelie Iosephs heart for he loues his Mistresse his Maister ād God but as soone as his Mistresses loue riseth vp agaīst his Maisters he sodainly forsakes it and away he runnes as he would also haue forsaken his Maisters if he had found it contrarie to God's Amongst all the loues God's is so to be preferred that is one must alwayes stand prepared in mind to forsake them all for that alone 3. SARA gaue her maide AGAR to her husband ABRAHAM to th' end that he might haue children by her following the lawfull custome of those times But Agar hauing conceiued did greatly contemne her Mistresse SARA till then scarcely could one discerne whether ABRAHAM bore more affection to SARA or AGAR for AGAR was as well his bedfellowe as SARA yea with fertilitie to boote but when the God Abraham came to make comparison betweene his loues he made manifest which was the stronger for no sooner had Sara made her complaint that she was contemned by Agar but he told her thy chamber maide Agar is in thy power doe vpon her what thou think'st good So that from thence forth Sara did so afflict the poore Agar that she was constrained to retire her selfe Diuine Loue doth willingly permit that we should haue other loues nor can we sometimes easily discouer which loue is the cheife in our heart for this man's heart of ours doth oftentimes most eagerly draw the loue of creaturs into the bed of his Complacene yea it happens withall that he makes more frequent acts of his loue towards creaturs then towards his Creatour while yet Diuine loue in him leaues not to excell all the other loues as the euents make cleare vpon the Creaturs oppositions to their Creatour for then he takes sacred loues part submitting vnto it all his affections 4. There is great difference betwixt the bulke and value of things created One of Cleopatras pearles was more worth then one of our highest rockes marry this is greater the one hath bulke the other worth It is made a questiō whether the honour which a Prince atchiues in warrs by feats of armes or that which he merits by iustice in time of peace be greater and me thinks that militarie glorie is bigger the other better euen as of instruments drumes and Trumpets make more noise Luts and virginalls more melodie the soūd of the one is stronger the other sweeter and more spirituall An ounce of Baulme giues not so strong an odour as a pound of Spickenard oyle howbeit the smell of baulme is alwayes better and more pleasing 4. True it is THEO you shall see a mother so busie about her child that it might seeme she had no other loue but that hauing eyes onely to see it mouth to kisse it breast to giue it sucke care to bring it vp and one would thinke that her husband were nothing to her in respect of her child but if she were to make choice whether she would loose one would then plainely see that she more esteemes her husband yea and that though the Loue of her child was more tender more pressing and passionate yet that the other was more excellent forceable and better So when a heart Loues God in respect of his infinite Goodnesse though with neuer so little a portion of this excellent loue it will preferre Gods will before all things and in all the occasions that shall be offered it will forsake all to conserue himselfe in grace with the Soueraigne Goodnesse without being hindred by any thing at all So that though this diuine Loue doth not alwayes so sensibly vrge and soften the heart as doe the other Loues yet in the occurrences it performes so high and excellent actions that one of them onely is better than tenne millions of the others Conies are incomparably sertile Elephants neuer haue more then one calfe yet this one onely young Elephant is of greater price the all the Rabbets in the earth Our Loue towards creaturs doth often abound in the multitude of productions but when sacred Loue doth its worke it is so eminently purfect that it surpasseth all for it causeth God to be preferred before all things without reserue A memorable historie wherin is more clearely seene in what the force and Excellencie of holy loue consisteth CHAPTER VIII 1. HOw great an extent then ô my deare THEO ought the force of this sacred loue of God aboue all things to haue It is to surpasse all affections to vanquish all difficulties and to preferre the honour of God's Beneuolēce before all things yea I saie before all things absolutely without exception or
and fantomes of pleasurs for which we cast off the loue of the heauenly Spouse And how can we then truely saie that we loue him since we preferre so friuolous vanities before his grace 5. Is it not a deplorable wonder to see a DAVID so noble in surmounting hatred so generous in pardoning iniuries and yet so impotently iniurious in mater of Loue that not being satiated with the vniust detaining of a number of wiues he must needes yet wrongfully vsurpe and take away by rape the poore Vrias his wife Yea and by an insupportable treacherie put to slaughter her poore husband that he might the better enioye the Loue of his wife Who would not admire the heart of a SAINT PETER which was so brauely bold amidst the armed soldiers that he of all his Maisters troupe was the first and onely man that drew and layed about him and yet a little after so cowardly amongst vnarmed women that at the worde of a wench he denied and detested his Maister And how can it seeme so strange to vs that Rachel could sell the chast embracements of her Iacob for Aples of the Mandragore since that Adame and Eue forsooke euen grace for an Aple and that too presented by a Serpent 6. In fine I will tell you a word worthy of note Heretikes are Heretikes aÌ„d beare the name of such because of the Articles of Faith they choose at their gust and pleasure what likes them best and those they beleeue reiecting and disauowing the others And Catholiks are Catholiks because without choice or election at all they embrace with an equall assurance and without reserue all the faith of the Church Now it happens after the same manner in the Articles of Charitie It is an herasie in sacred loue to make choice of Gods Commandements which to obserue and which to violate He that saied thou shalt not kill saied also thou shalt not commite adulterie It is not then for the loue of God that thou killest not but it is some other motiue that makes thee rather choose this commandement then the other A choice that hatcheth heresie in matter of Charitie If one should tell me that he would not cut my arme out of a loue to me and yet would pull out myne eyes breake my head or ruÌ„ne me quite through ah should I saie with what face can you tell me that it is in respect of my Loue that you wound not myne arme since you make no difficultie to pull out myne eyes which are no lesse deare vnto me yet since you ruÌ„ne me quite through the bodie with your sword which is more perilous for me It is an Axiome that good comes from an entire cause but euill from each defect That the act of Charitie be perfect it must proceede from an entire generall and vniuersall Loue which is extended to all the Diuine Commandements And if we faile in any one CommandemeÌ„t loue ceaseth to be entire and vniuersall and the heart wherein it harbers cannot be truely called a louing heart nor consequently a truly good one That we are to Loue the Diuine Goodnesse soueraignely more then our selues CHAPTER X. 1. Aristotle had reason to saie that GOOD is indeede amiable but principaly euery ones proper good to himselfe so that the Loue which we haue to others proceedes from the loue of our selues for how could a Philosopher saie otherwise who did not onely not Loue God but hardly euen euer spoke of the Loue of God howbeit the Loue of God doth preceede all the Loue of our selues yea euen according to the naturall inclination of the will as I declared in the first booke 2. Certes the will is so dedicated and if we may so saie consecrated to goodnesse that if an infinite goodnesse were clearely proposed vnto it vnlesse by miracle it is impossible that it should not soueraignely loue it yea the Blessed are rauished and necessitated though yet not forced to loue God whose soueraigne beautie they clearely see which the Scripture doth sufficiently shew in coÌ„paring the contentment which doth fill the hearts of the happie inhabitants of the heauenly Hierusalem to a torrent or impetuous floode whose waters cannot be kept from spreeding ouer the neighbour plaines 3. But in this mortall life THEO we are not necessitated to loue soueraignly because we see him not so clearely In Heauen where we shall see him face to face we shall loue him heart to heart that is wheÌ„ we shall all see the infinitie of his beautie euery one in his measure with a soueraignely cleare sight so shall we be rauished with the loue of his infir it goodnesse in a soueraignely strong rauishment to which we neither would if we could nor can if we would make any resistance But here belowe when we behold not this Soueraigne Bountie aÌ„d Beautie but onely enter view it in our obscurities we are indeede inclined and allured yet not necessitated to Loue more then our selues but rather the contrarie and albeit we haue a holy naturall inclination to loue the Diuinitie aboue all things yet haue we not the strength to put it in execution vnlesse the same Diuinitie infuse holy charitie supernaturally into our heart's 4. Yet true it is that as the cleare view of the Diuinitie doth infallibly beget in vs a necessitie of louing it more then our selues so the enterview that is the naturall knowledge of the Diuinitie doth produce infallibly an inclination and pronenesse to loue it more theÌ„ our selues for I praie you THEOT since the will is wholy addicted to the loue of GOOD how can it in any degree know a soueraigne GOOD without being more or lesse inclined to loue it soueraignely Now of all the Good 's which are not infinite our WILL willeth alwayes in her affection that which is nighest to her but aboue all her owne But there is so little proportion betwixt an infinite and finite GOOD that our will hauing knowledge oâ— an infinite GOOD is without doubt put in motion inclined and incited to prefere the friendshipe of the Abisse of this infinite goodnesse before all other loue yea euen the loue of our selues 5. But principally this inclination is strong because we are more in God then in our selues we liue more in him then in our selues and are in such sort from him by him for him and to him that we cannot in very deede hit of what we are to him and he is to vs but we are forced to crie out I am thyne Lord and am to belong to none but to thee my soule is thyne and ought not to liue but by thee my will is thyne and ought not to loue but for thee my Loue is thyne and is onely to tend to thee I am to loue thee as my first PRINCIPLE sith I haue my beeing from thee I am to loue thee as myne end and Center since I am for thee I am to loue thee more then myne owne being seeing eueÌ„ my Bâ—EING doth sublist by thee I am to loue
loose it 3. Put me saied the Diuine shepheard to the Sunamite put me as a seale vpon thy heart as a seale vpon thy arme The Sunamits heart was full of the heauenly Loue of her deare Spouse who though he possesse all yet is he not content in that but by a holy distrust of iealousie he will be set vpon the heart which he possesseth and will haue her sealed vp with himselfe least any of the loue due to him might escape out or any thing get entrie which might cause a mixture for he is not satisfied with the loue in which the Sunamite is compleat vnlesse she be also vnchangeable purely and onely his And that he may not onely enioye the affections of our heart but also the effects and operations of our hands he will also be as a seale vpon our right arme that it may not be streched out or imployed saue in the works of his seruice And the reason of the Diuine Spouse his demande is that as death is so strong that it separats the soule from all things yea euen from her owne bodie so sacred loue which is come to the degree of Zeale doth diuide and put the soule at a distance withall affections and doth purifie her from all mixture for as much as it is not onely as strong as death but it is withall sharpe resolute stife and pitilesse in punishing the wrong done vnto it in the admittance of Competitors together with it as Hell is violent in punishing the damned And euen as Hell full of horrour rage and crueltie admits no mixture of loue so doth iealous loue tollerate no mixture of another affection striuing that the whole should be reserued for the Beloued Nothing is so sweete as the Doue yet nothing so mercilesse as he in his iealousie towards his hen If euer you tooke notice THEO you haue seene that this milde birde returning from his flight and finding his mate amongst her companions he is not able to suppresse in himselfe a certaine sense of distrust which makes him churlish and humourous so that at their first accosting he circles about her with a soure and out faceing countenāce trampling vpon her and beating her with his wings though he haue otherwise assurance that she is loyall and sees her snowie white in innocencie Vpon a certaine day S. CaTHARINE of Sienna was in a Rapture which did not bereeue her of her senses and while God was shewing her wonders a brother of hers passed by and with the noise he made diuerted her so that she turned towards him and eyed him one onely moment This little distraction which did on the sodaine surprise her was neither sinne nor disloyaltie but an onely shadow of sinne and an onely resemblance of disloyaltie and yet the most holy mother of the heauēly Spouse did so earnestly chide her for it and the glorious S. PAVLE did so confound her in it that she thought she should haue melted away in teares And Dauid reestablished in grace by a perfect loue how was he treated for the onely veniall sinne which he had committed in taking a List of his People 4. But THEO he that desires to see this Iealousie put downe in a delicate and excellent expression let him read the Instructions which the Seraphicall S. CATHARINE of Genua made in declaration of the proprieties of pure Loue amongst which she doth instantly inculcate and presse this which ensueth That perfect Loue that is Loue which is come to the perfection of Zeale cannot endure any mediation interposition or the mixture of any other thing not euen of God's gifts yea it is in this hight of rigour that it permit's not euen the loue of Heauen but with intention to loue more perfectly therein the Goodnesse of him that giues it So that the Lampes of this pure Loue haue neither oyle weeke nor smoake but are all fire and flame which no worldly thing can extinguish And such as carrie these burning Lampes in their hāds haue the saintly feare of holy Spouses not the feare of adulterous women Both feare indeede but differently saieth S. AVGVSTINE The chast Spouse feares the absence of her Spouse The adulrous the presēce of hers That feares his departure this his staie That is so deeply in Loue that it makes her iealous this is not annoy'd with iealousie because she enioyes not Loue This feares to be punished but the punishment which that feares is that she shall not beloued enough yea rather in very deede she feares not not to beloued as is the custome of the Iealous who loue thēselues and will needes be beloued but her feare is that she loues not him enough whom she sees so loue-worthy that none can loue him to the worth ād accordīg to the large measure of loue which he merit's as before I haue faied Wherefore her Iealousie is not a IEALOVSIE OF PROPER INTEREST but a pure Iealousie which proceedes not frō any concupiscence but from a noble and simple friēdshipe A Iealousie which extends it selfe to our neighbour together with the loue whence it issueth for since we loue our neighbour as our selues for Gods sake we are also iealous of him as of our selues for God's sake so that we would euen die least he might perish 5. Now as Zeale is an inflamed ardour or an ardent inflamation of Loue it hath also neede to be wisely and prudently practised otherwise vnder the cloake of it one may violate the termes of modestie and discretion and easily slipe out of Zeale into anger and from a iust affection to an vniust passion wherefore this not being the proper place to put downe the markes of Zeale my THEO I aduise you that for the execution thereof you haue alwayes recourre to him whom God hath giuen you for the direction of your deuote life Of the Zeale or Iealousie which we haue towards our Sauiour CHAPTER XIV 1. A certaine Caualeere gaue order to a famous Painter to draw him out a horse rūning and the Painter hauing represented him as in a curuet with him vpō his backe the Caualeere began to storme whervpon the Painter turning the picture vpside downe be not angrie Sir quoth he to change the postures of a horse in his Carriere into a horse in his curuet a man is onely to turne the Table vpside downe He that desires to discouer what iealousie or Zeale we are to exercise towards God he is onely to expresse to life the iealousie we haue in humane things and then turne it vpside downe for such will it be as that which God for his part requires at our hands 2. Imagine THEO what comparison there is betwixt those who enioye the light of the Sunne and those who haue onely the glimps of a Lampe they are not enuious or iealous of one an other for they plainely see that that great light is abundantly sufficient for all that the ones fruition doth not impeach the others and that nones possession in particular is lesse for that all in
and are so capable of the impressions of heauenly loue that to make them participate in its Sanctitie they neede onely to be by it that is neare a heart which loues God So to make grapes tast like Oliues it is but planting the vine amongst the Oliue-trees for by their onely neighbourhoode without euer touching one another these plantes doe mutually enterchange fauours and properties so great an inclination and so strict a conueniencie is there betwixt them 2. Certes all flowres except those of the tree called the Pensiue Tree and others that are monstres in nature all I saie are gladded displayed and embellished at the Sunnes approch by the vitall heat which they receiue from his rayes But all yellow flowres and especiall that which the Grecians terme HELIOTROPIVM and we TVRNE-SOLE are not onely gladded ād pleased with his presence but euen follow his beames allurement by an amiable winding about to looke and turne themselues towards it euen from the rysing to the setting So all vertues doe receiue a new lustre and an excellent dignitie by the presence of holy Loue but Faith Hope the Feare of God Pietie Penance and all the other vertues which of their owne natures doe particularly tend vnto God and to his honour doe not onely receiue the impression of Diuine loue whereby they are eleuated to a great value but they hang wholy towards him associate themselues with him following and seruing him in all occasions for in fine my deare THEO the holy word doth attribute a certaine sauing sanctifying force and proprietie to Faith Hope Pietie Feare of God to Penance which is an euidence that those vertues are of great price and being practised by a heart in Charitie they become more fruitfull and holy by excellencie then the others which of their owne nature haue not so great an agreement with heauenly Loue. And he that cries if I had all Faith euen in such a measure that I could transport mountaines and should want charitie I am nothing doth sufficiently shew that with Charitie this faith would be very fruitfull Charitie then is a vertue without compare which doth not onely adorne the heart wherin she is but with her meere presēce doth also blesse ād sanctifie all the vertues which she meetes therein embalming and perfuming them with her celestiall odour by meanes whereof they are raysed to a high rate in the sight of God which yet she performes farre more excellently in Faith Hope and other vertues which of them selues doe naturally tend to pietie 3. Wherefore THRO of all vertuous actions we ought most carefully to practise those of Religion and Reuerence towards diuine things those of Faith of Hope and the most holy Feare of God taking occasion often to speake of heauenly things thinking and sighing after eternitie frequenting the Church and Diuine seruice making pious lectures obseruing the ceremonies of christian Religion for sacred Loue is fed according to its hearts desire in these exercises and doth in greater abundance streame out its graces and proprieties vpon them then it doth vpon those vertues which are purely naturall like as the heauenly rainebow makes all the plantes vpon which it lightes odoriferous but the Asphalatus incomparably more then all the rest That Diuine Loue doth yet more excellently sanctifie the vertues which are practised by his ordinance and Commandment CHAPTER IV. 1. THe faire RACHEL after an earnest desire of issue with her deare IACOB was by two meanes made fertill whence also she had children of two sundrie kinds for in the beginning of her marriage seeing she could haue no children of her owne bodie she made vse of her seruant BALA as it were by loue which she drew into her societie by the exercise of the functions of marriage saying vnto her husband I haue here my handmaide BALA take her in wedlocke and companie with her that she may beare vpon my knees and I may haue children of her and it fell out according to her desire For she conceiued and brought forth many children vpon RACHELS knees who receiued them as though they had bene truely her owne since they were begotten by two bodies whereof IACOBS belonged to her by the right of marriage BALA'S by the dutie of seruice and againe because the generation was effected by her order and will But she had afterwards two other children without her command or order which were conceiued begot and sprung from her owne bodie at her owne bent to wit Ioseph and the beloued Beniamin 2. I must tell you now THEOT that Charitie and holy loue a thousand times more faire then Rachel married to mans heart doth incessantly wish to produce holy operations And if in the begining she her selfe cannot bring forth of her owne extraction by the sacred vnion which is singularly proper vnto her she cals the other vertues as her faithfull handmaids makes them cōpanions with her in marriage commanding the heart to make vse of them and beget holy operations of them yet operations which she doth adopt and repute her owne as being produced by her order and commandment and of a heart which belongs vnto her sith as we haue formerly declared Loue is the Maister of the heart and consequently of all the acts of other vertues made by his consent But further heauenly Charitie hath two acts which are her owne issue properly and are of her owne extraction the one is EFFECTIVE LOVE who as another IOSEPH vsing the fulnesse of regall authoritie doth subiect and range the troopes of our faculties powers passions and affections to Gods will that it might be loued obeyed and serued aboue all things by this meanes putting the great celestiall commandment in execution Thou shalt loue thy LORD thy GOD with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy Spirit with all thy strength The other is AFFECTIVE OR AFFECTIONATE LOVE who as a little Beniamin is exceedingly delicate tender pleasing and amiable but in this more happie then Beniamin that Charitie his mother dies not in his birth but as it were gaines a new life by the delight she takes in it 3. Thus then THEOT the vertuous actions of the children of God doe all belong to Charitie some of them because they sprung from her owne wombe others because she sanctifies them by her quickning presence and finally others by the authoritie and commāde which she exerciseth ouer the other vertues whence she made them spring And these as indeede they are not so eminent in dignitie as the actions which doe properly and immediatly issue from Charitie so doe they incomparably passe those which take their whole sanctitie from the presence and Societie of Charitie 4. A great Generall of an Armie hauing gayned some renowned bataile will without doubt haue all the glorie of the victorie and not without reason for he himselfe will haue fought in the forefront of the armie essaying many braue feates of armes he will haue rancked his troopes ordained and commanded all that was
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
where our vnderstanding is englightened with an incomparable light and makes prouision of the most excellent grounds and Maximes to glorifie the Diuine Beautie and Bountie From thence we passe to the third where by the gift of Counsell we aduise by what meanes we may instill the gust and true estimation of the Diuine sweetenesse into our neighbours heart Vpon the 4. we take heart by the means of holy Fortitude to surmount the difficulties which might crosse this designe Vpon the 5. by the gift of Science we begin to preach exhorting all men to follow vertue and flie vice Vpon the 6. we striue to plant pietie in them that acknowledging God for their louing father they may obserue him with a filiall feare Vpon the last step we terrifie them with Gods iudgments so that mixing the feare of damnation with a filiall respect they doe with more feruour forsake the earth to asceÌ„d to Heauen with vs. 6. Meane while Charitie comprehends these SeueÌ„ gifts aÌ„d is like to a faire Lillie whose flowres are whiter then snow beset in the midst with fine little Hammaâ—s of the gold of wisdome which beate into our heart the gusts and louing tastes of the goodnesse of the Father our Creatour of the Mercy of the Sonne our Redeemour and of the sweetenesse of the Holy Ghost our Sanctifier And I place as you see this double Feare vpon the two lowest steps to reconcile all the traditions with the holy and sacred vulgare Edition for it is not without mysterie that the word FEARE is repeated twice but to shew that there is a filiall gift of Feare which is no other thing theÌ„ the gift of pietie and a gift of seruile Feare which is the beginning of our iorney towards the soueraigne wisdome Of the louing feare of spâ—uses a continuation of the discourse alreadie begune CHAPTER XVI 1. AH Brother IONATHAS saied DAVID thou wast deare to me aboue the loue of women as though he had saied thou didst deserue a greater Loue then that of wiues towards their husbands All excellent things are rare Propose to your selfe THEO a spouse with a Columbine heart which hath the perfectioÌ„ of marriage-Loue the Loue thereof is incoÌ„parable not onely in excellencie but also by reason of a number of singular affections and qualities which doe accompanie it it is not meerely chast but shamefast too it is strong but gracious with all It is violent and yet tender it is ardent but respectfull generous yet fearefull bold but obedient and all its feare is mixed with a delicious confideÌ„ce Such truely is the feare of a soule endowed with the excellencie of Loue For she hath such assurance in the goodnesse of her spouse that she feares not the loosing of him indeede she is afrayed that she shall not sufficiently enioye his diuine presence and that some occasion may make him absent himselfe though for an onely moment She is confident enough neuer to displease him but she feares she shall not loue him so much as loue requires Her Loue is too couragious to entertaine the lest suspicion of euer falling into disgrace with him but she is withall apprehensiue and fearefull that she shall not be vnited vnto him so much as she desires yea the soule doth sometimes arriue at such a desire of perfection that she doth not feare but she shall be sufficiently vnited vnto him Loue assuring her the continuance thereof but she feares that this vnion is not so pure simple and attentiue as her Loue makes her wish It is this admiring Louer who desires not to loue the gust delightes vertues and spirituall consolations least she might be though neuer so little diuerted from the singular loue which she beares to her beloued protesting that it is himselfe not his benefits which she lookes for and crying out to this purpose ah shew me my Beloued where thou feedest where thou lyest at midday least I might roue after the pleasures which are out of thee 2. With this holy feare of heauenly Spouses were touched those great soules of S. PAVLE S. FRANCIS S. CATHARINE of Genua and others who would not admit any mixture in their Loues but endeauoured to make them so pure simple and perfect that neither consolations nor vertues themselues might be enterposed betwixt their heart and God so that they might saie I liue not I but IESVS-CHRIST liues in me my God is my all that which is not God is nothing to me IESVS-CHRIST is my life my Loue is crucified and others the like extaticall words Now the loue of new beginners or appreÌ„tises proceedes from true loue but from a loue which is as yet tender feeble and beginning onely Filiall feare proceedes from a constant and solide loue and which alreadie tends to perfection but the feare of a Spouse springs from the excellencie and perfectioÌ„ of Loue alreadie acquired but as touching seruile and mercinarie feares they proceede not from loue at all but ordinarily they preceede Loue and serue it as Herbingers as we haue alreadie saied and are oftentimes very profitable seruants Howbeit THEO you shall oft see a good Ladie who not willing to eate her bread in idlenesse resembling her whom Salomon doth so much extoll will worke in silke vpon fine white Satine with a goodly varietie of colours to make a peece of embroderie consisting of many rare flowers which afterward she will richly raise with gold and siluer fitly suted the worke is wrought with the needle which she vseth all through to lay her silke siluer or gold yet is not the needle put into the Satine to be left there but onely to draw in after it and make way to the silke siluer and gold so that these being once layed vpon their grounds the needle is drawen out and taken thence Euen so the Diuine Goodnesse about to place a great varietie of vertues in mans soule and afterwards to raise them with his sacred Loue he makes vse of the needle of seruile and mercinarie Feare which commonly doe first pricke our hearts Yet is it not left in it but still as the vertues are placed and lodged in the soule mercenarie and seruile Feare departs according to the saying of the beloued Disciple That perfect Charitie casteh out Feare I verily THEO for the feare of being damned and of loosing Heauen is dreadull and full of anguish and how can it then stand with holy Loue which is wholy sweete and delightfull How seruile Feare remaines together with holy Loue. CHAPTER XVII 1. And albeit that the Lady we spoke off will not leaue her needle in her worke after it be once perfected yet as longe as there remaines any thing to be done about it if any other occurrence hinder her she will leaue the needle sticking in the Pincke the Rose or Paunsie which she embroders to find it in a readinesse when she returnes to her worke In like manner THEO while the Diuine Prouidence is about the embroderie of vertues and the worke of Diuine Loue
pardon at his hands saying your Father commanded vs that we should tell you thus from him I beseech thee to forget thy brothers crime and the sinne and malice which they practised against thee which hauing heard he began to weepe so did his filiall heart melt at the representation of his deceased Fathers wish and will Such then doe feare God with a filiall affection as doe feare to displease him purely and simply because he is their most sweete most benigne and most louing Father 9. Howbeit though this filiall feare be ioyned mixed and tempered with the seruile feare of eternall damnation or with the mercinarie Feare of loosing Heauen it is yet gratefull to God and is called a BEGINNING FEARE that is a feare of such as are beginners and Apprentises in the exercise of diuine Loue. For as young youthes at their first beginning to ride a horse when they perceiue him rise a little high before doe not onely cleeue close to hī with their knees but doe also catch hard hold of the saddle bole with their hands yet after they haue bene a while trayned vp with it doe onely keepe thēselues close together euen so Nouices ād Prentises in Gods seruice finding thēselues lost amidst the assaults which the enemie makes against them in their beginnings doe not onely make vse of filiall but also of mercinarie and seruile Feare and hold themselues as well as they cā that they might not fall from their pretentions How sacred Loue containes the 12. fruits of the holy Ghost together with the 8. beatitudes of the Ghospell CHAPTER XIX 1. THe glorious S. PAVLE saieth thus Now the Fruit of the holy Ghost is Charitie Ioye Peace Patience Benignitie Goodnesse Longanimitie Mildnesse Modestie Faith Continencie Chastitie But marke THEO how this holy Apostle showing these 12. fruits of the holy Ghost puts them for one onely fruit for he saieth not the fruits of the holy Ghost are Charitie Ioye c. but onely the fruit of the Holy Ghost is Charitie Ioye And behold the secrete of this manner of speach The Charitie of God is poured forth into our hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vs. Certes Charitie is the onely fruit of the holy Ghost but because this one fruit hath an infinitie of excellent proprieties the Apostle about to represent some of them by way of a scantling he speakes of this onely fruit as of many by reason of the multitude of proprieties which it containes in its vnitie and speakes againe of all these fruits as of one onely by reason of the vnitie in which it is comprised in this varietie So he that should saie that the fruit of the vine is ripe grapes greene grapes wine aqua vitae the liquour that doth reioyce the heart of man the drinke that doth comfort the stomake would not saie that they were fruits of diuers SPECIES but onely that though they be but one onely fruit yet hath it many different proprieties according as it is diuersly vsed 2. The Apostle therefore would saie no other thing but onely that Charitie is the fruit of the holy Ghost which is ioyfull peaceable patient benigne good longanimous sweete faithfull modest continent chast that is to saie that the Diuine Loue doth giue vs an inward ioye and cōsolation together with a great peace of mind which in aduersitie is conserued by Patience and which makes vs benigne and gracious in succouring our neighbour by a cordiall goodnesse towards him a goodnesse which is not variable but Constant and perseuerant giuing vs a courage of great extent by meanes whereof we become mild affable and condescendant to all supporting their humours and imperfections and standing perfectly loyall vnto them testifying a simplicitie accompanied with confidence as well in our words as actions liuing modestly and humbly cutting off all superfluities and disorders in meate drinke apparell bed plaie pastimes and such other voluptuous desires by a holy continencie repressing especially the inclinations and seditions of the flesh by a diligēt chastitie so that our whole man may be occupied in holy Loue as well interiourly by Ioye Peace Patience Longanimitie Goodnesse and Fidelitie as also exteriously by benignitie mildnesse modestie continencie and Chastitie 3. Now Charitie is called a fruit in so much as it doth delight vs ād in so much as we doe enioye its delicious sweetenesse as being a true aple of Paradice gathered from the tree of life which is the holy Ghost graffed in our humane hearts and dwelling in vs by his infinite mercy But when we doe not onely reioyce in this heauenly Loue and enioye its delicious sweetenesse but euen place all our glorie therein as in the crowne of our honour then it is not a fruit onely delightfull to our palate but it is a beatitude and a most wishfull felicitie not onely because it assures vs the felicitie of the next life but euen in that it doth enrich vs in this life with a contentment of an inestimable price a contentement which is so strong that all the waters of tribulation and the floodes of persequution cannot extinguish it yea it is not onely not extinguished but it waxeth rich amidst pouertie is aduanced by abiections and humiliations reioyceth in teares gaines strength by being forsaken by Iustice and by being depriued of the helpe thereof while begging for it it is deneyed of all compassion and commiseration doe recreate it while it is enuironed with the iniurious and neede It is delighted in the renunciation of all sorts of sensuall and earthly delightes to obtaine the puritie and cleanenesse of heart the vse of its valour is to lay a sleepe warrs iarrs and dissentions and to spurne temporall aduancements and reputation by all kinds of sufferance it waxeth strong and holds that its true life consisteth in dying for the well-beloued So that in a word THEO holy Charitie is a vertue a Gift a Fruit and a Beatitude as it is a vertue it makes vs obedient to exteriour inspiratiōs which God hath giuē vs by his Cōmādemēts ād Coūsells in the execution whereof all vertues are practised whence Charitie is the VERTVE OF VERTVES 4. In qualitie of a gift Charitie makes vs manigable and tractable by interiour inspirations which are as Gods secreete Commandements and Counsells in the execution whereof the 7. giftes of the holy Ghost are imployed so that Charitie is the GIFT OF GIFTS As it is a Fruit it giues vs an extreame gust and pleasure in the practise of a deuote life which is felt in the 12. fruits of the holy Ghost and thence it is the FRVIT OF FRVITS In qualitie of Beatitude it makes vs repute the affronts calumnies rebukes reuilings which the world heapes vpon vs for greatest fauours and singular honours and withall makes vs forsake renounce and reiect all other kinds of glorie saue that which comes from the beloued Crucifix for which we glorie in the abiection abnegation and annihilation of our selues admitting of no other marke of
as the bad but in the good it is moderated by submissioÌ„ and resignatioÌ„ to the will of God as is seene in Tobie who redred thaÌ„kes to the Diuine Maiâ—stie for all the aduersities wherewith he was afflicted and in â—OB who blessed the name of God in theÌ„ and in Daniel who turned his sorrowes into songes Now contrariwise in worldlings the same sorrow is an ordinarie dish with theÌ„ aÌ„d is changed into loathsomenesse dispaire madnesse for they reseÌ„ble Apes aÌ„d MoÌ„kies which are still peeuish sad and sottish in the wayning of the Moone as againe in the new of the Moone they hop dance and doe their apish trickes The worldling is froward harsh bitter and melancholie in the ebbe of his terreane prosperities but while they flowe he is almost continually in his brauado's iocund and insolent 6. Certes the sorrow of true Repentance is not so much to be termed sorrow as a dislike sense or detestation of sinne a sorrow which is neuer either harsh or peeuish a sorrow which doth not benume the mind but makes it become actiue prompt and diligent a sorrow which doth not abate the heart but doth reliue it by praier and hope and makes it make the stirrings of the feruour of deuotion a sorrow which in the hight of its bitternesse doth produce the sweetenesse of an incomparable consolation following the Precept of the great S. Augustine Let the penitent sorrow continually but let him also continually reioyce therein Sorrow saieth CassiaÌ„ which doth worke solide Penance and the wishfull repentaÌ„ce whereof a man doth neuer repeÌ„t him is obedient affable humble milde sweete patient as issuing and descending from Charitie so that extending it selfe to all the paine of the bodie and contrition of the heart it is in a certaine sort ioyfull quickned and streÌ„gthned with the hope of profit it retaines all the sweetenesse of affabilitie and longnanimitie as enioying the fruits of the holy Ghost recited by the holy Apostle now the fruits of the holy Ghost are Charitie Ioye Peace Longanimitie Goodnesse Benignitie Faith Mildnesse Continencie Such is true Repentance and such the good sorrow which is not properly sad or melancholie but onely attentiue and addicted to detest reiect and hinder the malice of sinne for the time past and time to come And indeede we meete often with Penetents sollicitous troubled impatieÌ„t mournefull soure groaning disquiet harsh and melancholie which are in the end found to be fruitlesse and are not followâ—d with any true amendement because they proceeded not from the true motiues of the vertuâ— of Penance but from naturall and selfe-loue 7. The sorrow of the world worketh death saieth the Apostle THEO we must be therefore carefull to auoyd and reiect it aâ—cording to our power if it be naturall we are to keepe it backe by withstanding its motions and by diuerting them by exercises proper for that end and by vsing the remedies and manner of liuing which the Phisitions shall aduise If it proceede from temptation we must fully disclose our heart to our Ghostly Father who will prescribe vs the meanes to ouercome it according to that which we haue deliuered touching this point in the fourtâ— Part of the Introduction to a deuote life If it be accidentall we must haue recourse to that which is saied in the eight booke to th' end we may see how delightfull temptations are to the sonns of God and that the greatenesse of our hopes in the eternall life to come all almost doe make all the passing euents of this mortall life of no consideration 8. For the rest amongst all the melancholies which can happen vnto vs we are to make vse of the authoritie of the superiour will to doe all thâ—t it is able in the behalfe of diuine Loue. Certes there are actions which haue so great a dependance of the corporall disposition and complexion that it is not in our power to doe them at our pleasure for the melancholie man cannot for his heart keepe neither his eyes speach nor countenance in the same grace and sweetenesse which they would haue if he were quit of this bad humour yet may he well though not with a grace speake gracious good and courtious words and may doe on despite of his inclination by force of reason what is conuenient in words and in the works of Charitie sweetnesse condescendance It is pardonable in a man not to be continually iocund for a man is not Maister of mirth to haue it when he list but he that is not continually gentle tractable and condescendant is not excusable for it is alwayes in the abilitie of our will nor is there any other thing required therevnto but a resolution to surmount the contrarie humour and inclination The end of the eleauenth booke THE TVVELFTH BOOKE CONTAINING CERtaine aduises for the progresse of the soule in holy Loue. That our progresse in holy Loue doth not depend of our naturall complexion CHAPTER I. I. A Famous religious of our age hath written that our naturall disposition doth much conduce to contemplatiue Loue and that such as are of an affectiue and louing nature are most proper for it Now I suppose his meaning is not that sacred Loue should be distributed to men or Angels in sequell and yet much lesse in vertue of their naturall conditions nor that he would saie that the distribution of diuine Loue is made to men according to their naturall qualities and abilities for this were to belye the Scripture and to violate the ecclesiasticall rule by which the Pelagians were declared Heretikes 2. For my part I speake in this Treatise of supernaturall Loue which God out of his goodnesse doth poure into our hearts and whose residence is in the supreame point of the Spirit a point which is aboue all the rest of our soule and is independant of all naturall complexion and withall though the soules that are inclined to Loue haue on the one side a certaine disposition which make theÌ„ more proper to loue God yet one the other side they are so subiect to set their affection vpon louely creatures that their inclination puts thâ—m iâ— as much danger of being diuerted from sacred Loue by a mixture of other Loues as they haue a facilitie in desiring to Loue God for the dangâ—r of louing amisse is annected to the facilitie of louing It is true that soules of this composition being once well purified from the loue of câ—â—atures they worke wonders in sacred Charitie Loue finding a great case to dilate it selfe in all the faculties of the heart and from thence proceeds a delightfull sweetenessâ— which appeares not in those whose soules are pâ—euish harsh melancholie and churlish 3. Neuerthelesse if two parties the one whereof is louing and sweete the other harsh and â—oure by nature had an equall Charitie they would loue God equally yet not both alike The heart naturally sweete would loue more easily more amiably more sweetely though neither more solidly nor yet more perfectly but the
now another by emulation making it in the end waxe withered and drie He that aimes at heauenly Loue must carefully reserue his times his spirit and affections for it That our lawfull occasions doe not hinder vs to practise Diuine Loue. CHAPTER IV. 1. CVriositie ambition disquiete together with inaduertance and inconsideration of the end for which we are in this world are cause that we haue a thousand times more impediments then affaires more hurrying vp and downe then worke more lets then businesse And these are the MAZES THEOT that is she witlesse vaine and superfluous vndertakings into which we runne our selues which doe hinder the loue of God not the true and lawfull exercises of our vocations DAVID and after him S. Lâ—WIS in the presse of his perils toyles and trauaills which he endured as well in peace as in warrs did not cease to sing from his heart What doe the Heauens admire Sauâ— God that I desire To what saue God beneath Can heart aspire or breath 2. S. BERNARD loosed not a foote of the progresse which he desired to make in holy Loue though he were in the Courts and Armies of great Princes where he laboured to bring matter of staâ—e to the seruice of Gods glorie he changed his habitation but he changed not his heart 3. And to vse his owne words these changes passed in him but were not caused by him sith that though his imployments were much differeÌ„t yet were all imployements indifferent to him and he different from them all not receiuing the colours of his affaires and couersations as the CAMELION those of the place where she is but remayning still wholy vnited to God still white in puritie still read with Charitie still full of humilitie 4. I am not ignorant THEOT what the wise mans counsell is He flies the CaÌ„pe the Court and Courtly strife Who seakes to sowe the seedes of holy life Vertue we see doth cause the soules encrease Faith and Pietie daughters are to peace And the Israelites had good reason to excuse theÌ„selues to the Babylonians who vrged them to sing the sacred Canticle of Sion Ay me but in what musike shall we sing In this sad sâ—yle and ruthfull banishment A Sions songe to Sions heauâ—nly King A Sions songe of heauenly wonderment But doe not you also marke that those poore people were not onely amoÌ„gst the Babylonias but were euen their Captiues Whosoeuer is a slaue to Courtly fauours issues in law and honour in warrs ô God all is past with him he hath no leasure to sing the Hymne of heauenly Loue. But he that is onely in the Court in warrs or in the Sessions-houses because his dutie calls him th ther God is his aide and the heauenly sweetenesse is as an EPITHEME vpon his heart to preserue him from the plague which raignes in those places 5. While the plague pestered the Milaneises SAINT CHARLES neuer made difficultie to frequent the infected houses and to touch the infected persons Yet THEO he onely frequented and touched them so farre forth as the necessitie of Gods worke required nor would he for a world haue thrust himselfe into danger without necessitie least he should haue commited the sinne of tempting God So that he was neuer touched with any infection Gods Prouidence conseruing him who reposed so pure a confidence in â—t that it had no mixture either of feare or forwardnesse In like manner God takes a speciall care of those who goe not to the Court Sessions or warre but onely to complie with the necessitie of their dutie and in that case a man is neither to be so scrupulous as to abandone good and lawfull affaires by not going nor yet to be presumptuously pushed forwards with a desire of going thither or staying there without the expresse necessitie of his dutie and affaires A delightfull example vpon this subiect CHAPTER V. 1. GOd is innocent to the innocent Good to the good cordiall to the cordiall tender towards such as are tender and his loue makes him often times vse certaine sacred and daintie deuises towards the holy soules which out of a louing puritie and simplicitie behaue themselues as little children about him 2. Vpon a day S. FRANCISCA was reciting our Ladies office and as it commonly happens that if there be any businesse to be done all the day long it presseth most in the time of Praier This good Ladie was called in her husbands name about a houshold affaire and foure sundrie times thinking to goe on with her office she was called from it againe and constrained to leaue off in the same verse till at length this blessed affaire for which they had so importunely interrupted her praier being finished returning to her office she found the verse which she had so often left off by obedience and begunne againe by deuotioÌ„ all written in faire golden letters Which her deuote Companion Madame Vannocie swore she saw written by the Saints deare Angell gardian to whom also S. PAVLE did afterwards reueale it 3. O what a sweetenesse is this THEOT of the heauenly Spouse towards this sweete and filiall louer We see notwithstaÌ„ding that euery ones necessarie imployments according to their vocation doth ot diminish Diuine Loue but doth euen encrease it and as it were doe gildâ— the deuote worke The Nightingale loues her owne melodie no lesse when she makes her rest 's then when she sings Deuote hearts loue not Loue lesse when they are distracted in exteriour necessities then when they praie Their silence their speach their action and their contemplation their imployments and their rests doe in them equally sing the Hymne of their Loue. That we are to imploye all the occasions that are presented in the practise of Diâ—ine Loue. CHAPTER VI. 1. THere are some soules that make proiects vnto themselues to doe excellent seruices to our Sauiour by eminent actions and extraordinarie sufferances but actions and sufferances whole occasion is not present nay nor peraduenture neuer will be present and vpon this they apprehend that they haue done a great matter in loue in which yet they are often deceiued As it appears by those who as they themselues thinke embrasing in desire greate future crosses doe vehemently flie the burden of such as are present though lesser Is it not a fearefull temptation to be so valiant in imagination and so cowardly in execution 2. Ah God preserue vs from those imaginarie feruours which doe often bread a vaine and secreete selfe esteeme in the botome of our hearts Great works light not alwayes in our waye but euery moment we may practise little ones with excellencie that is with a great Loue. Behold this Saint I beseech you who bestowes a cup of cold water vpon the ouerheated passinger he doth but a small matter in outward shew but the intentioÌ„ the sweetenesse the Loue with which he doth giue life to his worke is so excellent that it turnes this simple water into water of life and life euerlasting 3.
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
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
1. AS Loue rends towards the Good of the thing beloued either by taking delight in it being obtained or in desiring and pursuing it not being obtained So it brings forth hatred by which it flies the euill which is contrarie to the thing beloued either in desiring and striuing to be quit of it being alreadie present or in absence by essaying to diuert and hinder its approch But if euill can neither be hindred to approch nor be remoued loue at least leaues not to make it be hated and detested When loue therefore is seruent and is come to that hight that it would take away remoue and diuert that which is opposite to the thing beloued it is termed Zeale So that in proper speach Zeale is no other thing then loue in its ardour or rather the ardour that is in loue And therefore such as the loue is such is the Zeale which is in ardour If the loue be good the Zeale is Good if bad the Zeale is also bad Now when I speake of Zeale I meane to speake of iealousie too for iealousie is a SPECIES of Zeale and vnlesse I be deceiued there is but this onely difference betweene them That Zeale hath a respect to all the Good of the thing beloued with intention to remoue the contrarie euill from it but iealousie eyes the particular good of friendshipe to th' end it might repulse all that doth oppose it 2. When therefore we ardently set our affections vpon earthly and temporall things beautie honours riches Place That Zeale that is the ardour of that Loue ends ordinarily with enuie because these base and vile things are so little limited particular finite and imperfect that being possessed by one another cannot entirely possesse them So that being communicated to diuers each one in particular hath a lesse perfect communication of them But when we loue in particular to be ardently beloued the Zeale or ardour of this Loue turnes into Iealousie because humane friēdshipe though otherwise a vertue hath this imperfection by reason of our weaknesse that being diuided amongst many euery ones part it lesse Wherevpon the ardour or Zeale we haue to be beloued will not permit corriualls and companions which if we apprehend we haue we presently fall into the passion of Iealousie which indeede doth in some sort resemble enuie yet is farre an other thing 1. Enuie is alwayes vniust but iealousie is sometimes iust so that it be moderate for haue not such as are married good reason to looke that an others shareing with them doe not cause their friendship's decrease Enuie makes vs sorrowfull that our neighbour enioys a like or a greater good then we though he diminish not that which we haue one iot But iealousie is in no wise troubled at our neighbours good so it touch not vpon our coppie-hold for the Iealous man would not be sorrie that his companion should be beloued of others so it were not of his owne Mistresse Yea properly speaking a man is not iealous of Competitours till he apprehend that he himselfe hath alreadie atchiued the friendshipe of the partie beloued And if there be any passiō that preceedes this it is not iealousie but enuie 3. We doe not presuppose any imperfection in the partie we enuie but quite contrarie we apprehend that he hath the good which we doe enuie in him Marry we presuppose that the partie whereof we are iealous is imperfect fickle subiect to corruption and change 4. Iealousie proceedes from loue enuie comes from the defect of Loue. 5. Iealousie neuer happens but in matter of Loue but enuie is extended to all the subiects of good to honours to fauours to beautie And if at any time one be enuious of the affection which is borne to another it is not for loue but for the profit that is in it The Enuious man is not a whit troubled to see his fellow in grace with his Prince so that he be not in occurrences gratified and preferred by him That God is Iealous of vs. CHAPTER XIII 1. GOd saieth thus I am thy Lord thy God a iealous God Our Lord is called Iealous God is iealous then THEO but what is his iealousie verily vpon the first sight it seemes to be a iealousie of Concupiscence such as is a husbands ouer his wife for he will haue vs so to be his that he will in no sort haue vs to be any others but his No man saieth he can serue two Maisters He demands all our heart all our soule all our spirit all our strength for this very reason he is called our spouse our soules his Spouses And all sorts of separations from him are called fornication Adulterie And indeede it is high reason that this great God singularly good should most entirely exact our whole heart for our heart is but little and cannot store vs with loue enough worthily to loue the Diuine Goodnesse is it not therefore conuenient that since we cannot afford him such a measure of Loue as were requisite that at least we should afford him all we are able The GOOD that is soueraignely louely ought it not to be soueraignely loued and to loue soueraignely is to loue totally 2. Howbeit Gods iealousie of vs is not truely a iealousie of concupiscence but of SOVERAIGNE FRIENDSHIPE for it is not his profit that we should loue him but ours Our loue is vnprofitable to him but to vs gainefull and if it be agreeable to him it is because it is profitable to vs For being the Soueraigne GOOD he takes pleasure to communicate himselfe by loue without any kind of profit that can returne to him thereby whence he cries out making his complaint of sinners by way of iealousie They haue forsaken me me that am the fountaine of liuing water and haue digged vnto themselues Cisterns broken Cisterns that are not able to hold water marke a little THEO I praie you how this Diuine Louer doth delicatly well expresse the nobilitie and generositie of his Iealousie they haue left me saieth he me that am the Source of liuing water I complaine not that they haue forsaken me in respect of any damage that their reuoult can draw vpon me for what worse is a liuing spring that men will not draw water at it will it therefore leaue to glide and slide ouer the earth but I am sorrie for their misfortune that hauing left me they haue busied themselues about wells without water And if by supposition of an impossible thing they could haue light vpon some other fountaine of liuing water I should easily endure their departure from me since I pretend nothing in their loue but their owne good but to forsake me to perish to flie from me to fall headlong is that which doth astonish and offend me in their follie It is then for the loue of vs that he desires that we should loue him because we cannot cease to loue him but we begin to be lost nor withdraw any part of our affection from him but we