faith the one of the obiect as that there is a life euerlasting that Christ died for the sinnes of the world Both certaine by the promise of God Yet this is small comfort vnlesse the other certainety of the subiect also be assured vnto vs. To wit that this euerlasting life is prepared for me and that Christ died for my sinnes This indeed is the vndoubted worke of faith Dauid could saie Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiuen Yet this is but Christ in the whole cloth as we may say but Paule had learned to turne Dauids quorum into his owne ego and say whereof I am cheefe and so cut himselfe a garment therof to couer his owne wretchednes For he well knew that as many as were baptized into Christ had put on Christ. So you see he is fitted as a garment to weare and not to gaze vpon The reason of this certainty is this Because faith maketh that present which is absent Therfore by the Spirit of God faith is called The euidence of things not seene Neither is this certainety of hope but of knowledge For S. Iohn saith We know that when he shall appeare we also shall appeare in glorie And S. Paule testifieth that the Spirit assureth our spirits that we are the sons of God Doubtlesse therefore most restlesse and most vnquiet is the mind of that man which doubteth of Gods loue For what auaileth it thee be thy estate neuer so happie if it be miserable to thy selfe What comfort is it to a king to weare a crowne of gold albeit in great happinesse of estate if he be not perswaded of the enioyment therof What sound solace is it to any Christian to know that there is a life euerlasting yet knowes not whether he shall heare Come ye blessed or go ye cursed it being a very dictate of nature That no man is happy but he that so thinketh himselfe The felicity thereof consisting not in the happy expectation but in the present perswasion Thus then you see the appropriation of this loue how necessarie it is and not onely herein but in all other inducements of godlinesse S. Augustine recordeth that he was conuerted by reading that of S. Paule Rom. 13. Not in chambering and wantonnesse strife and enuying but put on the Lord Iesus So S. Augustine applied the Scripture to the particular reformation of his owne life And Alipius S. Augustines louing consort applied the beginning of the 14. Chapter to the Rom. to the end that S. Augustine might thereby recouer confirme him that wauered and staggered in the holy faith of Christ Iesus So the spouse here appropriateth Gods deere loue to her owne affections whereby we may learne That to a deuoted and truly religious soule Christ Iesus applied is the onely loue and life O heare a godly soule speake in her diuine phrases to Christ Iesus applying him to euery part to her mouth saying Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth that her words might be gracious and seasoned by the salt of the spirit of God 2. To her breasts My beloued is as a bundle of myrrhe vnto me he shall lie betweene my breasts that by alwaies meditating on him she might not be drawne aside to the by-paths of follie and vanity 3. To her affections Set me as a seale vpon thine heart that she might neuer be without his impression 4. To her actions And as a signet vpon thine arme that she might neuer be destitute of his directions The reason is For loue is as strong as death iealousie as cruel as the graue Much water cannot quench it neither can the floud drowne it whence ensueth a whole resignation Therfore I am my beloueds and he is mine Thus the true spouse Dauid likewise in the same case I am thine ô Lord hide not thy commandements from me Dauid was now neither for sinne nor for Sathan nor for the world nor for the flesh nor for his owne selfe but for the Lord totally by resignation fully by affection And verily how can it be otherwise but that a religious soule should thus wholy deuote it selfe to God in all sacred affection if it call to mind but these motiues following First what Ieremie saith how the Lord speaketh when he considered whereof the sonnes of men were made and weighed that they were but dust and therefore in his mercie to them he said it and not to the Angels that fell Shall they fall And not arise shall they turne away and not turne againe Here is rising from the gulfe of hell and returning from the bondage and captiuitie of the diuell assured vnto vs by promise in Gods preuenting mercie Secondly when we shall remember that God hath omitted all his other creatures of heauen and of earth and as it were neglected them and hath set his loue onely vpon vs yea the Angels that fel he hath reserued in chaines of darknesse for the iudgement of the great day and yet saued a remnant of the sonnes of men Thirdly when it shall call to mind that to all other creatures God hath giuen a direct motion to content themselues in their now being but to man a circular motion that we should onely seeke our felicitie in him in whom we had our beginning Fourthly that forasmuch as Gods grace is giuen vs for our guide in this dangerous world which ouercometh infallibly the world the diuell and the flesh holdeth the truth inseparably against all heresie and schisme and leadeth indeclinably into the Paradise of God we should with all deuoted thankfulnesse entertaine this holy blessednesse Fiftly seeing that we may by holy faith as in a christall mirror behold the whole holy and vndeuided Trinitie in this worke of louing sauing and sanctifiing grace we should as those that had newly receiued their eye sight after a long blindnesse be rauished with ioy and comfort For see God the father so loued vs that he gaue his onely begotten sonne c. that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but should haue euerlasting life God the sonne so loued vs that he would die for vs God the holy ghost so loued vs that he maketh request for vs with sighes vnutterable in our soules Who would not then gather hence diuine affections according to the measure of grace giuen vnto vs calling to mind the precept of Christ which is the summe of all Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule and with all thy mind that is saith S. Augustine Loue him with all thy right reason with all thy earnest affection and with all thy strongest powers loue him with all thy vnderstanding with all thy will and with all thy memorie loue him wisely that thou be not deceiued by the diuell in an angell of light Loue him sweetly that thou be not allured by the wicked and bewitching world Loue him
euery where It remaineth that I onely acquaint you with a safe station while you are here to stand in and a powerfull supplication while wee are here to pray with Let your station be like that of Elias in mount Horeb who stood in the clifts of the rockes entrance vntill the strong wind the earthquake and the fire in all which God was not were passed by but when he heard a soft and still voice he came out and stood before the Lord so let vs be continually meditating the passion and rents of our rocke Christ Iesus and hiding our selues therein while the winds of wickednesse the earthquakes of changings and chances the fire of might and malice and while all the works of darkenesse wherein God is not passe by vntill we heare a soft and sweete voice of the Lord to call vs forth of our station to rest Then let vs go forth willingly vnto our welbeloued and loue him and liue with him for euer Let our prayers and supplications in the meane while be the words of the hard-hearted and misbeleeuing Iewes but not their spirit for they cried His bloud be vpon vs and vpon our children and it was and is so to their vtter ruine and desolation euen vntill this day as a iust iudgment of God for their crucifying the Lord of life But we will pray and say in the spirit of the faith of Iesus in whom we beleeue His holy bloud be vpon vs and vpon our children to our saluation according to Gods blessed promise made to the Patriarks Prophets and to all the faithfull For he is the chiefest of ten thousand c. or as some reade it the chiefest of twelue thousand where in wee may see the mystery of the number both of ten and twelue as also the excellency of the partie that he is the chiefest in heauen and the choicest on earth together with the perfection of both heauen and earth in himselfe and imparted to his chosen the Church of the redeemed The Papists imitating the Platonists are very superstitious in numbers the one putting a fatall necessity in them in the period of estates and kingdomes the other affirming a certaine secret efficacy to be in many numbers but in the septenary number especially Hence haue they their canonicall houres for prayer and sacrifice But Bodin in his booke de Repub. iustly taxeth Plato for that dreame And the schooles conclude against them both that Numeri qua numerus nulla vis nulla efficacia Wee therefore will content our selues with the holy and mysticall vse which the booke of God maketh of them The mysticall numbers of sacred text are these to wit three foure fiue sixe seauen eight ten twelue Ten and twelue meete vs in this text by variation of readings both signifying perfection Ten is the highest of simple numbers all nations after ten begin to number againe The tenths was consecrated to the Priests Gods seruants In the tenth moneth the waters of Noahs floud abated Sem a father of the faithfull seeth the tenth age Ten words for the Creation of the world and ten words for the gouernment thereof as the Talmudists obserue For twelue we reade of twelue Patriarches the sonnes of Iacob twelue stones set vp in Iordan twelue precious stones in the breast plate of Aaron At twelue yeares Salomon decideth the plea of the dead child Christ the true Salomon at twelue yeares disputeth with the Doctors Twelue Apostles are sent to perfect the kingdome of grace Twelue foundations twelue gates twelue Angels the porters a tree that beareth twelue manner of fruites medicinable all the twelue moneths of the yeare describe the perfection of the kingdome of glory in the celestiall Ierusalem Thus we see that the mysterie of the number sheweth onely the excellency of the perfection of the partie being the chiefest in heauen and earth so described by Iohn the Diuine Apoc. 5. A throne is seene in heauen one sitting theron hauing a booke in his hand written within and without sealed with seauen seales But none was found neither in heauen nor in earth nor vnder the earth worthie to open the booke no nor once to looke into it Then wept the Diuine because none was found worthie to open the booke or once to looke therein But one of the Elders said Weepe not Behold the Lion of the tribe of Iuda the stocke of Dauid hath so preuailed that he may open the booke and loose the seales thereof This booke is Gods will these seauen seales are loosed and made knowne vnto vs by the declaration of Iesus Christ. The first seale is his Natiuitie opened Mal. 4. 2. But vnto you that feare my name shall the Sunne of righteousnesse arise and health shall be vnder his wings and ye shall go forth and grow vp as fat calues The second his Baptisme Zach. 13. 1. In that day there shall be a fountaine opened to the house of Dauid and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for vncleannesse The third his Passion poutrayed by Esay 53. chap. throughout The fourth his Descent deciphered Hosh. 13. 14. I will redeeme them from the power of the graue I will deliuer them from death O death I will be thy death O graue I will be thy destruction The fift is his Resurrection recorded Psal. 16. 10. For thou wilt not leaue my soule in the graue neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption The sixt his Ascension described Psal. 68. 18. Thou art gone vp on high thou hast led captiuity captiue and receiued gifts for men yea euen the rebellious bast thou led that the Lord might dwell there The seauenth is the sending of the holy Ghost pointed out vnto vnto vs Ioel 2. 28. And afterward will I powre out my Spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie your old men shall dreame dreames and your yong men shall see visions By the opening of the first seale to wit his Natiuitie whereby he became flesh he hath redeemed vs from being worse then very brute beasts For man being in honor vnderstood it not and therefore was compared to the beasts that perish S. Augustine speaking of the grace of the new Testament comforteth vs thus saying Let no man despaire but conceiue hope vnspeakable for by participation of the word we become the sonnes of God seeing that Iesus Christ by incarnation is become the sonne of man Aske your forefathers saith Moses and the daies of old euen since the day that God created man vpon the earth and aske from the one end of heauen vnto the other if there come to passe such a great thing as this Did euer people heare the voice of God speaking out of the midst of a fire as thou hast heard and liued If Moses spake thus of the voice of an Angell for the law was giuen by the ministrie of Angels what may we say of the gracious words of eternall life vttered by the Lord of life Indeed
orient colours of heauenly perfection as first his puritie is white both essentially is and especially to white Secondly his purity and zeale both Zeraphical and also Cherubical wholie passible wholy amiable euen in these words and ruddie which is a sweete and seemely cōmixture of white and red Then the choice aboue thousands and the chiefe of choice the chiefest of ten thousand In loue then you see he is matchlesse in purity spotlesse in zeale pricelesse in choice peerelesse Come hither then thou passionate louer and repent thee of thine inordinate and immoderate loue to alluring and deceiptfull beautie that vaine vermillion die mingled with white like bloud in snow both vanishing with the Suns beames with sicknes old age and many other casualties and whereof thou thy selfe art suspicious euen while thou dost enioy it and art inlie tormented lest an other should pertake with thee come hither I say and sit downe at these pure waters a while and let thy soule see and be rauished with the sight of celestiall beautie and grace shining vnto thee miserable and wretched man euen from heauen and yet thou neuer didst vouchsafe so much as once to cast thine eie vpon it No man I confesse can pourtray or delineate this loue vnto thee as it is in deede therfore I could wish that my soule had consulted with the Lord Iesus his Paranymph the beloued disciple who leaned vpō his sacred breast at supper and felt the breathes of blessed loue that breathed out of his tender bowels or had bene rapt vp with Paule into the third heauen to be lift vp aboue my selfe or had seene that glimpse of glory which Peter saw in mount Tabor or had conferred with him who died meditating on this loue and saying at his last gaspe Loue is as strong as death or had bene with Philip Melancthon who departed this life saying Egrediamur egrediamur or at least had heard sweete Bernard preach thereof or learned Theodar Beze both purposing to write their meditations thereon and to go through this song but both dying before they could finish it as being surprised as I conceiue with the singular loue of the Lord Iesus pourtrayed herein most mystically and diuinely But how shall I then dare to aduenture or take vpon me to open my mouth to set forth this loue seeing as S. Bernard saith None can vnderstād Paules meaning but they that are endued with Paules mind so none can conceiue the spouses affection but they that are touched with the like loue How shall wee either speake of the spouses tender affection or you heare accordingly seeing we are all carnall sold vnder sinne and these things are mystically and spiritually discerned This onely comforts me that God hath granted two meanes to know these sacred mysteries the one infused and extraordinarie onely proper and peculiar to the men of God in the former ages the other attained by studie and industrie ioyned with inuocation to God for illumination grace the onely sacred reliques of Iesus Christ left to his seruants in these last ages The Gospel being the foundation of all our sacred skill out of the which whosoeuer preacheth Christ crucified hath the mind of Christ. And hauing his mind we may with reuerend boldnesse auerre that we also know the true Churches meaning Hearken then to the Church here styling Christ her welbeloued for he is hers and shee is his first she by way of petition intreateth saying Shew me ô thou whom my soule loueth when thou feedest where thou liest at noone And then he by way of replication answereth My loue my doue mine vndefiled open vnto me for my head is full of dewe and my haire of the drops of the morning whereupon the Church doth in eight Chapters in this diuine song nine and twenty times style him her best beloued as if she could neuer too oft remember his vnspeakeable loue towards her his welbeloued Saint Paule also a sonne of this sacred mother hath in his Epistles fiue hundred times the name of his Lord Iesus as accōpting himselfe most happie when that most sacred name of loue and life sounded in his lips or was written with his pen. If therefore we of the last and worst generation be transported and out of our wits as you think being rauished with the surpassing loue of God it being shed in our hearts by the holy Ghost weare it to God or if we be modest and in our right mind we are it vnto you for the loue of Christ constraineth vs. S. Iohn the beloued disciple now being old writes of nothing else but of this loue as appeareth in his canonical Epistles chusing now to die and depart in beholding the surpassing beautie thereof insomuch that he summons all degrees children yong men and the aged to the view thereof as being indeed their heauen vpon earth For who so abideth in this loue dwelleth in God If we shall descend lower to other lights of the Church we shall also see that this was the earnest most certaine pledge that their soules had here euen to be swayed and transported with this diuine loue Euery thing is caried with his weight Loue is my weight saith S. Augustine by it am I caried whither soeuer I am trāsported S. Bernard admireth this loue that God being so great so greatly should loue vs wretched miscreants and that freely Cyprian aduiseth vs to preferre nothing before the loue of Christ forasmuch as he preferred nothing before our loue Eusebius Emiss epitomiseth our seruice thus Be not distracted with many circumstances for what God requireth of thee is in thee to wit the seruice of thy mouth by confession and the affection of thine heart in faithfulnes In thy heart then hath God set the soules city of refuge that whence the sin came the medicine might thence also issue How nigh then is this remedie How sweete is this counsell Of this doubtles spake Moses It is neare euen in thy mouth and in thine heart miserable therfore is our condition saith Ierome not to be with him without whom we cannot be Be with God we cannot otherwise while we are here then by affection What ô loue can be sufficiently said in thy praise saith Hugo de S. Victore seeing through thee God should humble himselfe to descend from heauen and man should be exalted from earth to heauen great is thy power that thus God should be abased and sinfull man so aduanced Thus haue the sacred sonnes of the true Churches generation expressed their affectionate rauishments in this diuine loue shewing that nothing can be more pious nothing is more precious And this heauenly affection also is not onely generall in the whole Church but also particularly in euery religious soule which applieth it soundly certainely and sweetly to it selfe and saith as the spouse here He is my beloued by way of appropriation whereby wee may discerne a twofold certainety of our