of your good will discoursing how during the course of this life there is a continuall fight says that therfore we are alwaies to haue our weapâ—ns in hand as well those who are sicke as those who are in health Et aegroti sani morbi enim tempore huius maximè pugnae tempus est quando dolores vndique conturbant animam quando tristitiâ—â— obsidÄ•t quando adest diabolus incitans vt acerbum aliquod verbum dicamus but this fight saith he is hottest in time of sicknesse when torments on all sides do molest the soule when we are incoÌ„pas't with sadnes the Diuell is ready at hand to incite vs to vtter some impatient word or to be immoderate in making of our moane which Seneca likewise confirmes saying Seneca epist 78. that a valiant and couragious man hath as faire an oportunity to exercise his forces well in bed in suffring sicknes as in the field in battaile against his enemies And therfore the wiseman says that a patient man is better then a strong melior est patiens viro forti Prou. 16.32 and he who hath the mastery of himselfe then a Conquerour of Citties qui dominatur animo suo expugnanatore vrbium THE XVIII CHAPTER Wherin that which hath been said is confirmed by some examples WE read of the holy Virgin S. Gertrud Blo c. 11 monilis spir how that one day our Sauiour Christ appeared vnto her bringing in his right hand health and his left sicknesse and bid her choose whether of theÌ„ shee would vnto whom shee answered inclining vnto neither of his hands that which out of my whole hart I desire Lord is that you would haue no regard vnto my will but that your good pleasure in all may be fulfilled It is recounted of a certaine person much deuoted to S. Thomas of Canterbury how he being afflicted with a grieuous sicknes had recourse vnto his Patrons shrine where begging with great feruour his holy intercession for the recouery of his health the B. Saint heard his petition and obtained it him whervpon he returning began to consider attentiuely with himselfe whether it were not more for his soules good that he should still be sicke and not being able to resolue himselfe he returned againe vnto the sacred shrine and there renewing his prayers againe he beseeched the Saint to obteine for him of God that which should be most expedient for his saluation when presently his sicknes returned vnto him againe and so he passed the rest of his dayes taking great comfort and content therin as in a thing the most conuenient for him Surius in the life of S. Vedastus Bishop Surius doth bring an other example of the like nature of a blind man who vpon the day of the translation of this holy Prelats body had a great desire to behould his holy reliques and consequently to recouer his sight againe when on the instant he obtained of God that which he wished with so much earnestnes and saw that which he desired so much and casting his eyes vpon himselfe he made it his petition vnto God againe that if the sight of his eyes might be preiudiciall to the good of his soule that it might please him to leaue him blind as he was before and hauing made this prayer his former blindnes closed vp his eyes againe S. Hierom writs now S. Anthony being inuited by S. Anastasius Bishop of Alexandria to confer his helpe vnto the resisting and confuting of the Hereticks Hier. eâ— ad Castr cÄ™cum had conference with one Dydimus who came to visit him an excellent scholler but wanting his corporall sight this Didymus discoursing rarely well of the holy Scripture in so much as S. Anthony euer praysed to admiration the excellency sharpnes of his wit was demanded by the Saint whether he were not agrieued that he wanted his corporall eyes Dydimus was ashamed to answer at the first vntill being vrged by him a second and third time at last he brought him to coÌ„fesse ingeniously the sorrow of his mind when S. Anthony said vnto him I wonder much that a wise man as you are should grieue the want of that which flies pismires and ants enioy and not rather reioyce in the possession of that which only vses to be imparted to Saints and Apostolical men Where out we may learne saith S. Hierom that it is farre better to see with the eyes of the soule then of the flesh Cro. or Praed 1. p. li. 1. c. 49. Fryer Ferdinand de Castile in his Chronicle of the Order of S. Dominicke recounts how S. Dominicke during his aboad at Rome went often to visita certaine holy seruant of Almighty God Croni ord Pre. 1. p. l. 1. c. 49. whâ— liued in closed betwixt fower walles in a Tower of S. Iohn Laterans port whether shee had retired herselfe which holy woman was afflicted with a most horrible infirmity she was called Bona and her name was very significant to expresse her life vnto whoÌ„ God had tought the great perfection in goodnes sanctity to take pleasure in aduersity and to find repose euen in death it selfe shee suffred grieuous paine and torment in her breasts which were almost eaten vp with the CaÌ„cer and the flesh conuerted into crawling worms and yet this life of hers which would haue been to any other the greatest of all torments was vnto her the occasion of thanking God the more and exercising admirable patieÌ„ce S. Dominicke who vsually heard her confession and administred her the B. Sacrament seeing her on the one side so afflicted and infirme and on the other so eminently vertuous did beare her singular affection and on day after he had confest and communicated her he had a great desire to see her so horrible and loathsome soare whose only sight was enough to affright and startle any heart which not without some difficulty he obteined but when shee opened her breast and the Saint saw on the one side foule matter the festred canker and the crawling worms and on the other her wondrous patience and cheerfulnes he could not choose but haue great compassion of her but notwithstaÌ„ding being more desirous of that soare of hers then of all the treasors of the world he desired her with great instance to bestow one of those wormes vpon him which he might keepe as a pretious relike of hers the holy Saint would not graunt him his request vnles he first promised to restore it backe againe for shee tooke such pleasure in seing herselfe in that manner eaten vp aliue that if any of those worms chaÌ„ced to fall from her breast vnto the ground shee would take it vp and lay it in its place againe on this condition shee did giue him one with a foule blacke head and of a mighty sise S. Dominicke had scarsly receaued it in his hand when it changed into a riche and orient peale his coÌ„paâ—ons wondring at it would haue perswaded the Saint
preiudiciall to you you are not then to gouerne your selfe according to your owne desire neither to desire to haue your will accomplisht since this were no way to giue you any coÌ„fort but to sow the seeds of a greater trouble disquietnes but that which in such a circumstance you are to desire of God is that he would salue and heale your pallat and giue you tast and sweetnes in the accomplishing of this blessed will which is our good and most connenient for vs and so we shall come to obtaine a true peace and content of mind S. Dorotheus directs vs to it by an other way Doroth. doctrina 9. or rather declares this in an other manner he says that he who in euery thing conformes himselfe vnto the will of God in such manner as to make all his owne inclinations readily serue vnto it is come vnto such a passe as to doe his owne will in euery thing and to enioy a perpetuall gladnes and quietnes of mind To declare that which we would procure to say we will giue an example of this in point of obedience and make but one labour in dispatch of two affaires We say commonly to those who desire to enter into Religion and to make their liues iourny by the way of obedience you must make account when you are entred into Religion neuer more to doe your owne will againe and S. Dorotheus says on the coÌ„trary neuer feare it you may do your owne will that not only lawfully but also holily with much perfection How is this to be done Qui propriam noÌ„ habet voluntateÌ„ suam ipsias sâ—mper facit voluntatem that Religious man who is truly obedient and hath no selfe will of his owne doth alwaies his owne will because he makes the will of an other his Et sic nolentes propriam explere voluntatem inuenimur illam semper expleuisse do but procure that your owne will be the same with the Superiours and you will be doing your owne wil continually and that with much merit perfection And so in conformity to this I sleepe as much as I will because I desire not to sleepe longer then obedience appoints I cate as much as I desire seeing I require no more then that which is allotted vnto me I pray I read I labour as much as I please and take vpon me as much pennance as I thinke is necessary for me since I do all these and in like manner all the rest according to the prescript and will of holy obedience And in this manner a good Religious man without hauing any inclination of his owne comes to do his owne will continually And this is it which makes those Religious who are good indeed appeare so cheerfull ioyfully disposed for that which reÌ„ders them alwaies content and glad is the making the will of obedience their owne In this point of obedience consists all the facility and difficulty of Religious life and on this depends the ioy and content of a Religious man If you put but on a resolution to renounce your owne will and receaue the will of your Superiour in the place of it the Religion will be easy and sweet vnto you and you will liue in it with much content and ioy but if you nourish a will contrary to the will of your Superiour there is no liuing in Religion for you two different wills in one person are incompatible We see by experience although our will be but one yet when our sensuall appetit is repugnant vnto reason and to it how little assurance and how little rest we haue and yet this appetit is but an inferiour subordinate to our will but what shall we thinke when two equall wils Mat. 6 2â— are striuing in vs for superiority Nemo potest duobus Dominis seruire no man can serue two Masters Now for as much as the difficulty which occurs in Religious life doth not consiste in the exercises and labours themselues but in the repugnance of our will and in the apprehension which our imagination frames of them thence it is that we sometimes find its obseruances more difficill and insupportable This we may easily apprehend from the differeÌ„ce which we experience in our selues when we are in tentation and when we are free from it for when we are without tentation all things seeme light and easy to vs but when we are assaulted with tentation or subiected to any griefe or melancholy that which was wont for to be easy to vs is straight conuerted into difficulty and we thinke we shall neuer be able to go through it but that heauen earth are come together againe all as it were coÌ„spiring to bring vs difficulty The difficulty is not in the thing it selfe since it is no other then what it was before but in our ill disposition of mind As when a sickman hath an auersion from his meat the fault is not in the meat which is good and sauourly but in the peâ—cant humour of the sicke which makes his food seeme vnsauoury and disgustfull to him and it is the like in that which we indeauour to say And this is the grace and fauour which God doth to those whom he calls vnto Religion to make it sweet vnto them to follow an others will This is the grace of our vocation with which our God hath preuented vs with a happines by farre transcending theirs whom we haue left behind vs in the world For what is it that affords and giues you this facility in leauing your owne and following of an others who hath plac't in your bosom that new hart where with you haue in horrour all worldly things and find so much sweetnes in recollection prayer mortifying your selfe you brought it not out of the world with you no certainly but rather a contrary one sensus enim Gen. 8. â—â— cogitatio humani cordis in malum pronae sunt ab adolescentia sua It is a gift and fauour of the holy Ghost who like a deare Mother of ours hath rubbed with aloes and wormwood the treacherous nipples of the world to wean vs from them and make them seeme bitter which nnce wee delicious to vs Ambro. psal 118 oâ—ton 4. super illud Auerte oculos mâ—os â—e videat vanâ—â—ateÌ„â— S. Agath and honyed the exercises of vertue and Religion that they might become sweet and sauoury vnto vs which before seemed bitter and vnsauoury Domine qui me custodisti ab infantia quia abstulisti à me amorem sâ—culi O blested Lord said holy S. Agatha I render infinite thanks vnto that deare goodnes of thine which hath elected and defâ—nded me euen from mine infancy and taken away from me all loue of this wretched world We are not to thinke it so great a matter to be Religious but it is much and a great benefit of Almighty God together with our vocation to ReligioÌ„ to giue vs a right tast and relish of this heauenly
passions and defects as also a sorrow and compassion for the paine and sufferance of our Sauiour Christ her Confessor told her that all this was good but yet on without much vertue might be liuely toucht with tendernes and compassion of the death and passion of our Sauiour Christ like as we see the naturall loue and affection which one beares an other doth make him haue a deepe resentment of his friends misery and aduersity The Virgin then demaunded of him whether the daily deploring of our sinnes were a true deuotion or no he answered it was good but not the perfectest seeing that euill naturally brings with it a hatred of it againe she asked him whether it were a true deuotion to thinke often on the paines of hell and the glory of the Blessed he answered t' was likewise good but as farre from being the best as the former was seeing that nature its selfe by a certaine instinct doth commonly abhorre and fly from all paine and torment and loues and seekes after that which may bring vs to content and glory as when you see but the picture of some faire pleasant Citty you desire presently to inhabit it This did exceedingly grieue the holy Vigin and left her much disconsolate and sad in that shee knew not which way she might best apply her exercise of prayers to be most pleasing to Almighty God Not long after there appeared to her an Infant of exquisit beauty to whom when shee had related the cause of her sadnes adding withall it was so great that none could comfort her The Child did tell her she should forbeare to say so since he himselfe both could and would comfort her therfore go said he vnto your Ghostly Father and declare vnto him that true and solid deuotion doth consist in the abnegation and contemning of ones selfe as also in an intire resignation into the hands of God aswell in aduersity as prosperity in being straictly vnited by loue to God in euery thing The Virgin with â—oyfull cheer went presently vnto her Ghostly Father to informe him of all this who no sooner heard her but he answered this this is that indeed to which you are to apply your prayer seing that heerein consists the true charity and loue of God and consequently our profit and perfection It is recounted of an other Virgin that our Lord tought her to insist long time together vpon these words Refert Bloâ— ca. 11. mon spirit O Lord your will be done one earth as it is in heauen and we read of S. Gertrude that inspired by God Almighty shee repeated without any intermission those words of our Sauiour Lucae 22 42. Not my will ô Lord be done but thyne three hundred sixty fiue times together and she vnderstood that it was a deuotion most gratfull to Almighty God Let vs then imitate these examples and directing all our prayers vnto this end go forward couragiously in this exercise Now that we may the better and with greater profit doe it we are to presuppose two things The first is that this exercise is of greatest necessity in time of aduersity and wheÌ„ we haue any difficulty to ouercome vnto the conquest whereof is required a conflict against flesh and blood for in these occurrances there is greatest need of vertue and in such times as those the loue which we beare vnto God Almighty doth more manifestly appeare Euen as a King in time of peace by obliging his soldiers by his liberality doth shew the affection which he beares to them and they in the time of warre in fighting dying for him do shew the loue and loyall respect which they haue to him So in the time of spirituall ioy and consolation the King of heauen giues vs to vnderstand how dearly 〈◊〉 tenders vs and we in the time of desolation aduersity do more shew forth our affection vnto his seruice then we are able to do whilst we are in comfort and prosperity M. Auila to 2. ep fol. 20. Master Auila says exâ—ellent well that to render thanke to God in time of consolation is common vnto all but to blesse and praise him when we are oppressed with tribulation and aduersity is only proper to the good and perfect and a most harmonious musicke to the eares of God And he adds that in the midst of aduersity only to say I render you thanks ô Lord blessed be God or the like is of more worth merit then thousands of thanks and benedictions in time of prosperity and in this sense the holy Scripture compares the iust vnto the carbuncle Eccl 32.7 Gemmula carbunculâ— in ornamento auri because that this pretious stone giues greater lustre by night then in the shining day so in like manner the faithfull and true seruant of God Almighty shines and shewes forth more clearly what he is in the cloudy night of tribulation then in the bright sunne shine of prosperity And therfore the holy Scripture praiseth holy Toby so much Tob. 2.14 for that he although God permitted him to fall into sundry calamities and lastly had depriued him of his sight yet neuer proceeded in his sadnes against Almighty God nor remitted any thing of his former fidelity and obedieÌ„ce to his Diuine Maiestie but he remained alwaies immoueable rendring equall thanks to God his whole life long aswell for his blindnes as for the faculty of sight Iob 1.21 as holy Iob in his affections had done before This saith S. Augustin is that which we are to indeauour to imitate vt in cunctis idem sis Aug ad fratres in HereÌ„ ser 4. tam in prosperis quam in aduersis that as well in prosperity as aduersity we remaine alwaies the same Siâ—ut manus quae eadem est cum in palmam extenditur cum in pugnum constringitur Like as the hand is alwaies the same as well when we span it out as when we clutch our fist so likewise the seruant of Almighty God ought alwaies to be at quiet in the interior of his soule how euer he may seeme to the exterior shew to be perplext and sorrowfull And if it be true which is reported of Socrates Socrates refert Cicero lib. 13. Tuscula questio that in the greatest diuersity of fortune he was alwaies one and that he was neuer obserued to exceed a moderation in his mirth or sorrow Nec hilariorem quisquam nec tristem Socratem vidit aequalis fuit in tanta inaequalitau fortunae vsque ad extremum vitae what extraordinary thing were it in vs who are both Christians and Religious men to indeauour to aspire to a perfection vnto which a Heathen had arriued before vs. Secondly we are to know that it is not sufficient to haue this conformity with the will of God in Generall seeing it will be no hard matter to attaine it so for who is there that will not say he desires that the Diuine will be performed in euery thing
euen the heauen seemes to them to be made of Iron and the earth of brasse seing that not a dropp of water raineth downe on them to soften these hearts and produce that fruite which should maintaine their spirituall liues but they remaine in a perpetuall sterility and drouth neither is it this aridity which only tormenteth them but there rusheth vpon them sometimes such variety of thoughts and wild distractions and they perhaps so filthy vilanous as they seeme to haue come vnto prayer vnto no other end then to be troubled vext and assaulted with all sorts of tentations If you tell them there best way is then to haue their thoughts on death or on our Sauiour crucifie◠which is an excellent remedy indeed they answere you that they haue tryed it but found no fruite in it for could they do that what should they desire for more Sometimes one shall be so ill disposed and dry in his prayer that he cannot so much as thinke vpon it or if with much force difficulty he hale his thoughts vnto it it is in such a manner as he is neuer moued with it nor rendred any whit the more recollected or attent but they passe it ouer without leauing any impression in the soule and this is that which we call properly spirituall desolation aridity or drines and defection of mind and herein it is necessary that we conforme our selues vnto the will of God This is a point of greatest consequence it being on of the commonest complaints and wherwith they are most contristated who giue themselues to the exercise of prayer for they sigh and weep when they find themselues in this manner whilst on the one side they heare so much said in the praise of prayer and of the good therof and how according as that passes so the daies and liues of spirituall men do passe whilst they likewise vnderstād that it is one of the principalst meanes as we haue as well for our owne particular profit as that of our neighbour and on the other side see themselues so farre in their opinion from making any good prayer this this grieueth this afflicts them much this maks thē thinke that God hath forsaken thē thinks no more vpon thē this maks thē feare they haue wholly lost his fauour and are falne into his displeasure and disgrace seing it seemes to them that he cuts them of from all refuge all recourse vnto him And this tentation is farther augmented when they see the great progresse which others make in prayer in a few daies exercise almost without any paine at all whilst they although they labour more then their force can beare are nothing profitted From whence are begotten other tentations yet worse then these as to make their complaint sometimes of our Lord himselfe for dealing with them in such a rigorous manner and they begin to thinke of leauing of their exercise of prayer imagining it a thing vnfit for them seing it succeeds in no better manner with them And all this is made farre more and worse by the diuels vexing them with that vnquiet thought that themselues alone are in the cause of all that for their owne fault God deales so harshly with them and therfore some do liue in great discomfort comming out of their praier as from some racke or torment sade melancholy and both intollerable to themselues and to all those with whom they do conuerse Wherfore we will now by the assistance of the grace of God both answer and satisfy this tentation and complaint THE XXV CHAPTER An answer vnto the complaint of those who are troubled with aridity and desolation in prayer FIrst I do not say that we are not to reioyce when we are visited and comforted by God for it is manifest that there is none so stupid but would be glad and delighted with the presence of his beloued neither do I say that we are to haue no recentment of his absence from vs when he punisheth vs with aridity and tentations for I see it is impossible to do otherwise Our Sauiour Christ had feeling himselfe to be abandoned by his heauenly Father when hanging on the crosse he vttered these mournefull words Math. 27 46. Deus meus Deus meus vt quid dereliquisti me my God my God why hast thou forsaken me but that which is intended and desired is that we should know how to make our profit of this distresse and experiment by which God commonly doth try his elect and with a vigour of mind put our selues vnder the protection of the will of God in saying Math. 26 39. Veruntamen non sicut ego volo sed sicut tu ô Lord be it not as I will but as thou wilt seing especially that sanctity and perfection consists not in consolations neither in hauing of high and excellent manner of prayer and that our profit and perfection is not measured therby but by a perfect loue of God which is not comprised in any of these things but in a conformity and entire vnion with the diuine will as well in bitternes as in deliciousnes aswell in aduersity as prosperity and therfore we ought with the same equality of mind to receaue from the hand of God aswell the crosse and to be spiritually forsaken as any ioy or cōsolation giuing him thākes for the one and the other alike If you will haue me in darknes be you blessed if you will haue me in light be you also blessed if you will comfort me be you blessed if you will afflict me be you likewise blessed And so S. Paul doth counsell vs In omnibus gratias agite Thomas a Kēpis hae◠est enim voluntas Dei in Christo Iesu in omnibus vobis rēder thanks for euery thing 1. ad Thes 5.17 for such is the will of God in Christ Iesus in all of you If then this be the will of God what can we desire more my life is giuen me to no other end then to please God with it if then he please to direct the whole course of it by these darke troublesome and vneasy waies why should I seeke wish for paths more lightsome pleasant God would haue such an one go forwards in that way which he seeth which he receaues gust in and loues and leads me through this gloomy wildernesse I will not chaunge my barrennes for his fertility neither my frights for his security this is the language of those who haue their eyes open to see the truth and with this they maintaine themselues in cōfort M Auila audi filia c. 26. Master Auila saith excellent well If God would but vnuaile our eyes we should behould more cleerly thē the day that all things in earth and heauen are to little and base to be desired or possessed by vs if you but seperat them from the will of God and that there is nothing how little or bitter so euer it be which would not be of great value
in the world in whom was to be found two things so passing opposit as was in him first to fall so often into imperfections and continue so ingratfull to Almighty God and on the other side to receaue so great and continuall fauours from his Almighty hand Blosius writeth of a certaine great seruant of God Almighty Blos c. 10. mon. spirit vpon whom our blessed Lord had bestowed many graces fauours giuing him great illustrations and communicating to him in praier high admirable things this holy soule out of his profound humility did begge of God if so it might stand with his better will and pleasure to take from him that his abouÌ„dant grace and our Lord at his petition for fiue yeares together left him without all consolation in greeuous tentations in great anxieties and afflictions and when once whilst he bitterly wept two Angells presented themselues to coÌ„fort him he told them that he requested no consolation of them but he should be aboundantly satisfied if the most acceptable will of God might be effected in him The same Blosius relateth how our Sauiour once said vnto S. Brigit why my deare daughter are thou so troubled and solicitous vnto whom shee answered Ibid. c. 4. because I am afflicted with diuers vaine and euill cogitations of which I can by no meanes rid my selfe and the feare of thy Iudgment doth much disturbe my soule this is exact iustice answered our blessed Lord that as thou hast been formerly delighted on the vanities of the world against my will so now against thy will thou shouldest be troubled with as many various and wicked thoughts therof Neuertheles feare my iudgment with moderation and discretion firmely euer confiding in me who am thy God for thou art to hold it for most certaine true that such euill cogitations which the mind striueth against and doth abhorre both purify and crowne the afflicted soule if thou canst not auoid them beare them patieÌ„tly and keepe thy will resoluedly bent against them And although thou dost not consent vnto them notwithstanding feare least thou become proud therof and so come to fall for whosoeuer stands is supported with the only force of God Taulerus saith and Blosius recouÌ„teth it in his CoÌ„solation of the Pusilanimous that there are diuers who wheÌ„ they are vexed with any tribulation do vse to say vnto me Tauler Father I am much afflicted all goeth very ill with me for I am greatly pestered and perturbed with many afflictions and much griefe and sorrow and I tell them that it goeâ—â— well with them then they will reply ô Sir but my fault is only the cause of it to whoÌ„ I answere againe whither your fault be cause of it or no beleeue neuertheles that it is a crosse of affliction imposed by God vpon you rendring thanks vnto him suffer it patiently and resigne your selfe vnto him Then will they tell me oh but I euen internally pine away with that great aridity and spirituall obscurity in which I liue vnto whom I finally reply beare it patiently my deare child and it will be more for your soules good then if you were in neuer so much and great sensible feeling of deuotion We read of a great seruant of God Almighty who said it is fourty yeares since first I serued our Lord and haue been conuersant in prayer and yet I haue neuer knowne what sensible feeling or consolation was but only this I haue found that daie when I haue duely made my prayer I am much streÌ„gthned enabled to go thorough with the exercises of vertue wheras if I euer omit it or performe it tepidly I am so infeebled that I cannot raise my selfe on wing to do any thing which is good and vertuous THE XXX CHAPTER Of the conformity which we are to haue with the will of God for as much as concerneth the distribution of others vertues and supernaturall gifts LIke as we conforme our selues vnto the will of God in what manner so euer he shall dispose of vs in prayer so also are we to do in all other vertues gifts of God and in all spirituall fauours and prerogatiues it is good to haue all vertues in desire to aspire vnto them and indeauour to attaine them but we are in such manner to desire to become better and to go forwards and increase in vertue as not to be disquieted if we obteine not that which we desire and to conforme our selues vnto the will of God and place our whole contentment and delight therin If God be not pleased to bestow vpon you an Angelicall purity but would haue you suffer in that kind violent tentations it is farre better for you to haue patience in it and to accommodate your selfe vnto the will of God in this tentation and extremity then to disquiet and trouble your selfe with bootlesly lamenting of your case that you cannot attaine vnto that purity and candour of the blessed soules in heauen if God be not pleased to bestow vpon you so profound a humility as S. Francis had neither a mildnes answerable to that of Moyses or of Dauid nor in fine so great a patience as that of holy Iob but letteth you experience the contrary motions appetits your best course were to humble your selfe and to embrace the shame which may giue you occasion of hauing your selfe in a more vile esteeme which will not be effected if you remaine troubled with it and spend your selfe in silly complaints and lamentations because God hath not indowed you with an equall patience vnto holy Iob or such a humility as S. Francis had We must conforme our selues vnto the will of God euen in such things as these or els we shall neuer enioy true quietnes M. Auila saith excellent well Auila c. 23. Audi filia I do not belieue saith he that there hath euer been Saint in the world who desired not to become better then he was but that notwithstanding did not hinder quiet of mind since they desired it not out of any cupidity of their owne for that is insatiable neuer cryeth enough but only for God with whose distribution they should haue been content although he had giuen them lesser then they had esteeming it the part of on who loueth loially and truly indeed to content himselfe with that which is giuen him rather then to desire more how euer selfe loue may preteÌ„d that it is to be able to serue Almighty God the better But some will say that our speech seemeth to tend to this that we should not be very forwards and feruent in desiring to be more perfect and vertuous then we are but that we ought to remit ourselues wholly vnto God as well in matter of soule as of our body and from thence they may imagine that we may giue occasion to some of becoming more tepide and negligent and neuer to striue to become perfect or make progresse in vertue This point is well to be heeded seing it
Exultate iusti in Domino Delectare in Domino dabit tibi petitiones cordis tui Reioyce in our Lord and exult ô yea iust and glory all you of a right heart Yea righteous exult in our Lord. Reâ—oyce in him and in his infinit goodnes and he will graunt you the petitions of your owne heart or rather all which you shall desire and stand in necessity of For this is a prayer by which without setting your selfe to pray you pray and God heareth the desires of your heart to shew how much he is delighted with this prayer of yours And the Apostle S. Paul writing to the Philippians saieth Ad Phil. 4.4 reioyce alwaies in our Lord Gaudete in Domino semper and thinking it not sufficient to haue said it once he adds iterum dico gauâ—ete I say againe to you reioyce And this was the ioy which informed the sacred Virgins purest heart when in her Canticle shee said 〈◊〉 1. â—â— Et exultauit spiâ—itus meus in Deo salutari meo and my soule hath exulted in God my saluation And with this ioy likewise was our B. Sauiour Christ replenished when as the sacred Euangell testifieth of him exultauit Spiritu Sansto he reioyced in the holy Ghost Luc. 10.21 And the roy all Prophet said that the ioy and contentment was so passing great which his soule receaued from the consideration of the great felicity glory of God and so becoming it was for euery one to reioyce in that infinit goodnes which is in him as euen the soules ioy out of its aboundance had influence into his body and set his flesh on fier with the same loue of God Psal 83.3 Cor meum caro mea exultauerum in Deum viuum my heart flesh haue exulted in the liuing God and in an other place Psal 34.9 Anima mea exultabit in Domino delectabitur super salutari tuo omnia ossa mea dicent Domine quis similis tibi my soule shall reioyce in God and be delighted with the Author of it saluation and all my bones shall say ô my Lord who is like to thee And because this loue is a thing so celestiall and diuine our Mother the Church directed by the Holy Ghost in the beginning of her Canonicall howers inuiteth vs by this Inuitatorium to loue out Lord in this manner to reioyce to triuÌ„ph in his endles perfection and it is the beginning of the 94. Psalme Psal 94.1 2. Venite exultemus Domino iubilemus Deo salutarinostro praeoccupemus faciem â—ius in confessione in Psalmis iubilemus ei come all and reioyce in our Lord and sing canticles of iubilation to his eternall praise who is our saluation seing he is God and a mighty Lord and King aboue all Gods veing the sea is his and he made it and his hands haue founded the dry Land Quoniam Deus magnus Dominus Rex magnus super omnâ—s Deos c. Quoniam ipsius est mare ipsâ—fecit illud aridam fundauerunt manus eius for this reason and the same end the holy Church concludeth all it Psalmes with this versicle Gloria Patri silio Spiritui Sancto Sicut erat in principio nunc semper in saecula saeculorum Amen this is that entrance into the ioy of our Lord which our Sauiour spoke of in the Ghospell Mat. 25.21 Intra in gaudium Domini tui where we are made partakers of the insinitioy of God by reioycing delighting our selues with him for his glory beauty and riches all infinit Now to the end that we may take pleasure in this exercise and endeauour to proceed alwaies therin with this cheerfulnes and ioy it will much helpe vs to consider how good God is how faire how glorious in all which he is so passing infinit that his only vision doth render those who do enioy it blessed in so much as should but the damned in hell once haue a glimps of him all their paine and torments would be turned to ioy Hell would be changed to a Paradyse Ioan. 17.3 Hâ—e est autem vita aeterna vs cognoscunt te solum Deum verum saith our Sauiour Christ in the Euangell of Saint Iohn This is eternall life that they know thee the only true God this is that which maketh them blessed and that not only for a day or yeare but for eternity in such manner as neuer to be satiat with seing God but the delight therof shall be alwaies new vnto them according to that of the Apocalyps Apo. 14.3 Et cantabunt quasi canticum nouum they shall alwaies sing as if their song were new This seemeth to me sufficiâ—tly to declare the infinit goodnes beauty and perfection of God but notwithstanding there is alwaies somewhat to adde yea infinitly more God is so faire 3. Th. 1. p. q. 26. ar 2. so glorious that euen in seing himselfe he is made happy so as the glory and felicity of God is to see loue himselfe Imagin therfore what reason we haue to be glad and to reioyce in a goodnes beauty and glory so infinitly great as to fill with delicious content the whole Citty of God rendring all the Citsens blessed who inhabit it euen God himselfe happy in knowing and louing of himselfe THE XXXIV CHAPTER How we may yeâ— farther extend this holy exercise WE may yet farther dilate and enlarge our selues vpon this subiect in descending to the consideration of the most facred humanity of Christ our Lord from the contemplation of his diuinity obseruing the great dignity and perfection therof and from thence receauing particular pleasure and delight in that the sacred humanity of Christ is so highly exalted and straitly vnited to his diuinity that it is enriched with all abouÌ„dance of grace and glory that it is the instrumeÌ„t of the diuinity to exploit those highest mysteries of the sanctification and glorification of all the elect and impart those supernaturall gifts and graces which God distributeth and bestoweth on men And finally we are to reioyce receaue exceediog pleasure from euery particular of the perfection and glory of the most blessed soule and sacred body of our Redeemer Iesus Christ insisting therupon with a truly viscerall loue delectation In such manner as the Saints do contemplate him and the sacred virgin beheld him on the day of his glorious resurrection rising from death so bright and triumphantly in fine with such affection as the holy Patriarch Iacob did declare Gen. 4â— 38 when as the scripture saieth hearing that his soone was yet liuing and Lord of all Egypt he was surprized with so excessiue â—oy that his decayed spirits being reuiued therby he said it is sufficient if my sonne Ioseph liueth I desire no more then only to go and see him and then I shall be content to dy And we may extend this exercise vnto the glory of the immaculate virgin and all the
other Saints and it would be a good and laudable deuotion vpon their particular feasts to spend some part of our prayer in this exercise seing it is the most especiall seruice and honour which we can exhibit to them as declaring the greatest loue that we can beare them which is to wish them all the good which they can possibly haue and reioyce and congratulat their great excellent glory Which exercise the holy Church proposeth to our deuotions on the feast of the euer glorious Virgin Hodie Maria virgo caelos ascendit gaudete quia cum Christo regnat in aeternū to day the virgin Mary ascendeth vp to heauen reioyce therfore because shee raigneth eternally with God And the office of the holy Masse both in this solemnity and diuers others doth inuite vs to this holy exercise and incite vs by the example of Angells in this office imployed Gaudeamus omnes in Domino diem festum celebrantes sub honore beatae Mariae Virginis de cuius Assumptioue gaudent Augeli collaudāt filium Dei let vs euery on reioyce in our Lord in celebrating this feast day in honour of the B. Virgin Mary for whose Assumption the Angells reioyce and praise the sonne of God There is moreouer an other great good and profit resulting from this deuotion vnto the Saints and particularly vnto the sacred humanity of Christ our Lord which is that from hence we come by little and little to raise our selues vnto a higher light of the diuinity Ioan. 10.7 Ioā 14.6 seing as Christ our Sauiour saieth this is the way gate which leadeth vs vnto the eternall Father This exercise of considering God so far-forth as he is God hath likewise its degrees and we may render it more familiar vnto vs by descending vnto the consideration of worldly things for although it is most certaine that God in himselfe can receaue no increase seing he is euery waies infinit and therfore there is no good falling within the compasse of our wish which he hath not already neuertheles he may accidentally in his creatures become greater and increase when he is better knowne more loued serued by them and therfore there is place for vs to employ our selues in this act of loue in wishing to God the addition of this exteriour good And so the deuout soule by considering in prayer how most worthy God Almighty is to be loued honoured and serued of his creatures is to wish and earnestly desire that all the soules which are or euer shall be may know him loue him praise him and glorify him in euery thing and out of the depth of its deare affection say ô Lord who shall conuert all the Infidells and sinners of the world so as there may not be left any to offend you more but that all may be obedient to you and employ themselues wholly vnto your seruice both now and for euer more Marc. 6.9 Psal 65.4 Sanctificetur nomen tuum Omnis terra adoret te psallat tibi psalmum dicat nomini tuo And here we may insist and imagine with our selues a thousand waies wherby creatures may come to serue Almighty God and wish them all particularly put in practise From hence is each on to descend vnto a desire of performing the will of God procuring his greater glory in euery thing which belongeth to them to do euer endeauouring to do whatsoeuer we may know to be the will of God redounding to his greater glory Conformable to that which our Sauiour saieth of himselfe in the Euangell Ioan. ◠29 quia ego quae placita sunt ei facio semper I do alwaies that which is pleasing to my Father For as S. Iohn the Euangelist saieth Ioan. 2.4 qui dicit se nosse Deum mandata cius non custodit mendax esi in hoc veritas non est he who affirmeth that he knoweth God and doth not keepe his cōmaundements is a lyer and there is no truth in him Qui autem seruat verbum eius verè in hoc charitas Dei perfecta est but he who obserueth his word hath the charity of God perfectly indeed within him So that to loue God and to haue an entire conformity with his will it is not sufficient that a man conceaueth a great ioy and delectation for the felicity which God enioyeth or desireth that all creatures may loue and glorify him but it is requisit that he resigne himselfe wholly to the accomplishmēt of the will of God for how can one say with any colour of truth that he desireth the greater glory of God when euen in those things which lie in him to do he procureth it not And this is that loue which a soule actuateth when in prayer it conceiueth good purposes and true desires of performing the will of God in this or that or any particular thing which may present its selfe with which exercise we commonly entertaine our selues in praver Thus haue we laid open a large field to exercise our selues for long time together in prayer and declared the great profit and rare perfection which is comprehended in this exercise wherfore there only remaineth that we set our hand to worke and begin be times on earth to take essay of that which we are euer after to practise in so excellent a manner in heauen Isai 31.9 Cuius ignis est in Sion caminus eius in Hierusalem here we are to enkindle in our selues that fier of loue but the flame therof must shine and spread it selfe and its height and sublime perfection appeare in the celestiall Hierusalem which is our lasting glory THE TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS THE I. CHAPTER IN which there are laid two principall foundations pag. 1. Chap. 2. Wherein the second foundation is more amply declared pag. 11. Chap. 3. Of the great good and prosit which is included in this Conformity with the will of God pag. 20. Chap. 4. That this perfect conformity with the will of God is a blessednes and a kind of heauen in earth pag. 29. Chap. 5. That contentment is only in God and whosoeuer seeketh it in any thing els shall neuer find it pag. 38. Chap. 6. Wherin is in an other manner declared how the only way to arriue to true contentment is to conforme our selues with the will of God pag. 49. Chap. 7. Of diuers other felicities and profits which are to be found in this conformity with the will of God pag. 60. Chap. 8. Wherin is confirmed by some examples how gratefull vnto God this exercise is of the conformity of our wills with his and of the great perfection which is conteined in it p. 68. Chap. 9. Of some other considerations which may render this exercise of conformity with the will of God both easy and pleasant to vs. pag. 74. Chap. 10. Of Gods fatherly and particular prouidence of vs and of the filiall confidence which we ought to haue in him pag. 82. Chap. 11. Of
A SHORT AND SVRE WAY TO HEAVEN and present Happines TAVGHT IN A TREATISE OF OVR CONFORMITY WITH THE WILL OF GOD. Written by the Reuerend Father ALFONSVS RODRIGVEZ of the Society of Iesus in his worke intituled The exercise of perfection and Christian vertue Translated out of Spanish Ira in indignatione eius vita in voluntate eius Psal 29.6 Wrath in his indignation and life in his will Permissu Superiorum 1630. TO THE REVEREND AND RELIGIOVS MOTHER ANNA OF THE ASCENTION PRIORESSE OF THE ENGLISH Teresians in Antwerpe REuerend Religious Mother Many excelleÌ„t Treatises haue seene light by the happy peÌ„ne of F. Alfonso Roderigues that great Master of spirit But this alone may worthily seeme to carry the nature of a Centure wherein all the lines of perfection drawne through his other workes come iointly to meete The highest ayme of vertue both in time and eternity is to set an exact conformity betweene our soule and God the best wayes of spirit such as leade to this toppe What store of excellent precepts solid helpes and most effectuall meanes our Author hath heere collected to so noble an end diligent perusal wil discouer To which purpose as I chanced vpon the worke apparelled in English so my singular affection and respect to your selfe yours would not permit me to staÌ„d long in deliberatioÌ„ whether I should first addresse it after it had receiued life from the print For to whom can a treatise of diuine conformity be more due euen in rigour of claime challeÌ„ge then to a family of that illustrious Order the FouÌ„dresse wherof reflected vpoÌ„ the world admirable light of exaÌ„ple in this kinde hauing bene trained in spirit as herselfe testifieth vnder the conduct of three most eminent men of the Authors Profession as of B. Father Borgia Duke of Gandia and third Generall of the Society Beatified by the holy Church Father Baltazar Aluarez whoÌ„ by diuine reuelation she vnderstood to haue bene the greatest Saint then liuing in this world and Father Francis Ribera whose rare vertue was accoÌ„panied with equal learning And who more worthy of the first view then a Superiour of the same family by whose discreet and pious gouernment the whole coÌ„pany maintaines in flower vigour the primitiue spirit of their Foundresse especially in this high point of true Conformity Accept therfore Reuerend Mother of this little preseÌ„t rather as a pledge of coÌ„gratulation then a spurre of new incitemeÌ„t with my best wishes that your house may euer prosper grow vp florish as it doth to the glory of our Lord the honour of your FouÌ„dresse the CoÌ„fort of your soules and the good of our whole Nation Your R. euer humble seruant in Christ Iâ—sus I. C. A TREATISE OF OVR CONFORMITY VVITH THE will of God Ian. 2â— THE I. CHAPTER In which there are laid two princicipall foundations NOn sicut ego volo sed sicut ut Matt. 26.39 not as I will but as thou wilt O Lord. The Holy Fathers assigne two reasons why the sonne of God would descend downe from heauen and become perfect man by vesting himselfe with our humanity the one was to redeeme vs with his pretious blood the other to shew vs by his example and teach vs by his doctrine the right way to heauen For as it would haue auailed vs nothing to haue knowne the way if we had been still detained in prison Ber. ser 2. in Circumcis Dom. so likewise saith S. Bernard it would haue little profited vs to haue been deliuered out of prison if we had not knowne the way and seeing God was inuisible it was necessary vnto the end we might see him and by seeing imitate him that he should become visible and cloath himselfe in our humanity as shepheards goe apparelled in the skins of sheep that their flocke may be allured to follow them by seeing in them their owne resemblance And so that holy Pope S. Leo sais Nisi enim esset verus Deus Leo Papa 1. ser 1. de Natiui Do. noÌ„ adferret remedium nisi esset verus homo non praeberet exemplum Vnles he had been true God he could not haue brought vs remedy and vnles he had been true man he could not haue afforded vs an exaÌ„ple But he hath done both the one and the other most aboundantly out of that excesse of loue which he bare to man and therfore as our redemption hath been most amply great copiosa apud eum redemptio Psal 129 7. so also hath his doctrine been since he hath not deliuered it vnto vs alone in words but much more by the example of his works caepit Iesus facere docere saith the Euangelist S. Luke Act. 1. 〈◊〉 Iesus first begun with the practise and execution and that for the most part of his Blessed life and afterwards began to preach in the last three yeares or two yeares and a halfe before dyed Now among many other things which our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs one of the principall is an entire conformity with the will of God in all occurrences and occasions the which he teacheth vs not only in words when setting downe vnto vs a forme of prayer he tells vs that one of those things which we are to beseech and begge of our heauenly Father is Mat. 6.10 fiat voluntas tuasicut in coelo in terra thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen but he much more confirmes this doctrine by his blessed exaÌ„ple seeing he professeth to haue descended from heauen vnto no other end descendi de coelo non vt faciam voluntatâ—â— meam sed voluntatem eius qui misit me I haue descended from heauen not to do mine owne will but the will of him who sent me And on that sacred day when hauing instituted his holy supper and almost ended the worke of our redemption in that prayer of his in the Garden although his flesh and blood and sensitiue powers had a naturall horrour and auersion from death by which he witnessed that he was perfect man Mat. 26.39 saying Pater miâ—si possibile est transeat à me calix iste Father if it be possible let this chalice passe from me notwithstanding his will was alwaies prompt desirous to drinke of that chalice which his Father sent him and therefore he presently adds neuerthelesse be it not as I will but as thou wilt ô Lord. But vnto the end that we may descend vnto the very depth to ground our selues very well in this conformely we must first lay two briefe but substantiall foundations vpon which as vpon two hinges our whole matter must be sustained The first is that all our profit in vertue and perfection consists in this conformity with the will of God which according as this shall be more full and perfect shall likewise be more excellent and great This foundation is easy to comprehend since it must be graunted that perfection essentially
he doth reserue the inheritance for his sonne in the like manner God sometimes by the euill teacheth amends the good by vsing them as instruments and scourges of his wrath We read in the Ecclesiasticall History Hist ecc p. 1. lib. 3 c. 11 that Titâ—â— Generall of the Romaine army fetching once a circuit about the walles of Hierusalem which he then held besieged and seeing the ditches all filled with the dead corses and carkasses of men and all the neighbouring country infected with the horrible stench of theÌ„ lifting vp his sorrowfull eyes to heauen to direct thither his lamentable voice he cald God to witnesse for him that he was no waies the cause of so great a slaughter and butchery of men And also when Alaricus was in his expedition to sacke and ruine Rome p. 2. li. 9. c. 2. hist lest it is recorded that a venerable auncient Monke went to meet him on his way beseeching him that he would not be the cause of such great euills as were imminent that day ouer that wretched Citty vnto whom he answered that he went towards Rome out of no proper inclination of his owne but there is said he a certaine person which importuns me daily euen seems to hollâ—w in mine eares go to Rome and distroy that Citty And thus we see all things are proceeding from the hand of God and disposed according to his will ordinance And so the Royal Prophet Dauid wheÌ„ Semei reuiled and curst him throwing downe sand and stones against him said vnto those who counsailed him for to reuenge himselfe 2. Reg. 16.10 The Lord hath commaunded him to curse and reuile Dauid and who shall dare to say why hath he done so as much as to say the Lord doth vse him as his instrument to punish and chastise me with all But what marueile ist to acknowledge men the instruments of Gods Iustice and diuine prouidence since euen the Diuels are so how euer otherwise obstinat and enhardned in their malice and seeking nothing more then our perdition S. Gregory notes it excellently well Greg. li. 18 moral c. 3.1 Reg. 16.23 vpon that place of the first booke of Kings Spiritus Domini malus arripiebat Saul the euill Spirit of the Lord did ceaze on Saul the same spirit being called the spirit of the Lord and also an euill spirit euill to wit because of the desire of its mischieuous will and of the Lord for that he was sent by God to afflict Saul with that plague and torment which God by its meanes did execute vpon him and so it is declared in the same text saying exagitabat eum spiritus nequam à Domino the wicked spirit from the Lord 1. Reg. 16.14 did torment and vexe him and for this reason sais the saint Greg. li. 14. mor. c. 16. Iob. 19.12 doâ—h the holy scripture call those diuells which torment and persecute the iust the Thieues of God Thieues because of the malicious will they haue to hurt and damage vs and of the Lord to giue vs to vnderstand that all the power they haue for to do any mischiefe is deriued vnto them from almighty God And so S. Augustin obserues very well that Iob did not say Dominus dedit Aug. in psal 31. Iob. 1.21 Diabolus abstulit the Lord hath giuen and the Diuell hath taken away but he attributs it all to almighty God saying the Lord hath giuen me the Lord hath takeÌ„ away knowing right well that the Diuell could proceed no farther in hurting vs then God permitted him And this Saint prosecutes his discourse saying Aug. in psal 31. acknowledge God the Authour of thy scourge and punishment seeing the Diuel can do thee no harme vnles he first permit it who hath all superiour power Let no maÌ„ say this mischiefe is happened to me by the Diuells meanes but attribut all your punishmeÌ„t affliction to Almighty God since the Diuell can do nothing of himselfe not so much as touch the least haire which lies vpon our garments without the permission of God neither could he enter into the heard of swine as the Euangell testifies Math. 8.31 without hauing first obteined leaue of our Sauiour Christ to do it how then shall he be able to tempt or indomage vs without the permission of Almighty God He who had no power to touch the swine how shall he come to annoy the children THE III. CHAPTER Of the great good and profit which is included in this Conformity with the will of God SAint Basil says that the height of all the sanctity and perfection of a Christian life consists in attributing the causes of all things to God how little or great so euer in themselues they be and to conforme our selues in them vnto his holy will But to the end that we may the better comprehend the importance and perfection thereof and be incited by our affection towards it to seeke and procure it with greater diligence we will more particularly declare the great good and profit which is contained in this conformity with the will of God The first is that intire and perfect resignation which the Saints and all Masters of spirituall life do extoll so much pronouncing it the root and ofspring of all our tranquility and peace as being that whereby a man is wholly submitted and resigned into the hands of God as a peece of clay into the Potters hands to be fashioned and moulded as he pleases without desiring to haue any interest longer in himselfe neither to liue to eate to sleepe or labour for himselfe but wholly and intirely for Almighty God and this is effected by this conformity seeing that man thereby resignes himselfe wholly vnto the will of God in such manner as not to desire any thing but only that the diuine will may be most perfectly accomplished in him as well in point of what he is to do as in all accidents which may happen to him aswell in prosperity and consolation as in anxiety and aduersity Which is a thing so gratefull and pleasing to Almighty God as for this only reason he stiled Dauid a man according to his owne harte Inueni virum secundum cor meum 1. Reg. 13.14 Actuum 13.22 qui faciat omnes voluntates meas he hauing prepared his hart so plyable and obedient to the hart of God so readily wrought to a delicate aptnes to receaue each forme which he should please to impresse in him either of ioy and contentment or of paine and griefe as softned waxe was not more supple to receaue the figure which a man should imprint in it and therefore he said Psal 56.8 Psa 107.1 and repeated it againe Paratum cor meum Deus paratum cor meum my hart is prepared 〈◊〉 God my hart is prepared Secondly he who hath this intire and perfect conformity with the will of God must with all haue attained to an intire and perfect mortification of all his passions
attained vnto this purity and simplicity but are yet of proud and hauty minds but a childish thing or an idle action and they would demaund of him how he could indure to be so imployed by obedience and euen I my selfe saith this Saint did question him and desire to know what motions he felt within his heart whilst he was performing this and the blessed man answered him I am as content and glad when I haue executed this as if I had done the most high and important thing as they could haue commaunded me and S. Hierom sayes that this answere did so liuely touch him that from that time forwards he began to lead the life of a Religious Monke This is to be a Religious man indeed and to lead an answerable life vnto their state not to regard what the exterior action is but to make the will of God our pleasure delight which we performe in doing of that acte and such as they are those who profit and go sensibly forwards in vertue and perfection so as euen to make it their liues sustenaÌ„ce to do the will of God wherewith they are nourished as with the very fatnes of the corne Et â—dipe frumenti satiat te But some one perhaps will say for my part I see well enough that it is a thing of great perfection to doe the will of God in euery thing and that in euery office in which they do imploy me I may performe his holy will but neuerthelesse I would willingly be applied set to more important things and be executing the will of God in such functions as those and this is to be wanting euen in the first principall seing that really it is nothing els then to desire that God should do your will and not to indeauour to accomplish â—is I am not to prescribe any law to God neither to seeke to bring him to consent vnto that which seemes best to me and is most to my desire but I ought to follow that which God Almighty shall ordaine and thinke the best and accommodate my selfe to that which he desires concerning me S. Augustin saith excellent well Optimus minister tuus est qui non magis intuetur hoc à te audire quod ipse voluerit sed potius hoc velle quod à te audurit he is thy best seruant ô Lord who doth not looke to haue thee commaund him that which he desires but who rather desires that which thou shalt commaund and the holy Abbot Nylus said Non ores vt fiant quae fieri velis sed potius or a sicut orare didicâ—sti vt fâ—at voluntas Dei in me do not pray that that should be done which thou desirest but rather desire as our B. Lord hath instructed thee to pray that the will of God be alwaâ—es performed in thee Which point is worthy to be considered as one very profitable and vniuersally seruing for all chaunces and contrary accidents which may happen to vs. We ought noâ— to determine and choose in what and how we will indure and suffer but God alone it belongs not vnto vs to make choyce of those tentations with which we are to be proued or to say Oh if it were any other tentation then this I would not care but this is such an one as I can no waies indure If that paine which we haue were that which we did desire it would be no paine vnto vs If you desire indeed to be pleasing vnto Almighty God beg of him to conduct you by that way which he best knowes and pleaseth and not by that which you yourselfe desire and when our Lord doth send you that which you haue most auersion from and should be most sorry to vndergo then if you conforme your selfe vnto his will you imitate most neere our Sauiour Christ who said vnto his heauenly Father not my will but thine be done and this is to haue an intire conformity with the will of God to make him an absolute oblation of our selues that he may doe with vs whatsoeuer he shall please when and in such manner as he shall please without any exception contradiction selfe iudgment or reseâ—â—ing any thing Blosius recouÌ„ts hâ—w the holy Virgin S. Gertrude did once out of her compassion pray for a certaine person who as shee heard did with great impatience complaine that God had sent her certaine afflictions which were lesse conuenient for the good of her soule vnto whom our Sauiour answered tell that party for whom thou prayest that seing there is none can obteine the Kingdome of heauen without suffering at least some crosses and afflictions that shee had best choose and declare what afflictions shee should thinke most profitable for her and when God should send her those receaue them patiently by which words of our Lord and the manner with which they were deliuered S. Gertrud vnderstood that it was a most daungerous kind of impatience for one to desire proudly and peruersly to make choyce themselues of that which they would suffer saying forsooth that those afflictions which are sent them by God Almighty are lesse fitting for the good of their soules and more then they can sustaine seing euery one is to assure himselfe that whatsoeuer God doth send him or permits to happen to him is most conuenient for him and for such he is to welcome it both with patience and conformity with the will of God And as you are not to make choice of those tentations and afflictions which you are to vndergoe but to receaue all which shall be sent you as proceeding from the holy hand of God vnderstanding them to be the most conuenient for you so likewise are you to be as farre froÌ„ making your owne election of those offices and functions which you are to be employed in but are to receaue all which obedience shall appoint as coÌ„ming from the hand of God and perswade your selfe that it is the only thing which of all others is most expedient for you There is added moreouer vnto this a very spirituall point which teacheth vs to be so resigned vnto the will of God and to liue in such confidence and assurance of his paternall goodnes as not so much as to desire to know in what manner God shall please to dispose of vs Iust as there are some Noblemen in the world who trust their stewards so farre as not to know themselues what their owne reuenues are or what they haue in the house which is a signe of their great confidence in them and so the Patriarch Ioseph affirmeth that his Master did with him ecce Dominus meus omnibus mihi traditis ignorat quid habeat in domo sua behould my Master hauing deliuered ouer all into my hands doth not know himselfe what he hath in his owne house in like manner also that Religious man declares his confidence in God to be great indeed when he desires not so much as to know how God shall be pleased for to dispose of
omnia operatur vnus atque idem Spiritus diuideÌ„s singulis prout vult 1. Cor. 12.10 Saith S. Paul vnto the Corinthians all those things are the worke of one and the same spirit who giues euery one his share according as he pleaseâ—h The Apostle doth vse this Metaphor which vpon an other occasion we haue borrowed Tract 4. c. 4. and it is deriued from a humaine body he sayes that euen as God hath disposed and apted the members of a body euery on according as he liked best where the foot complains not that it was not made the head neither the hand because it was not made an eye so is it likewise in the body of the Church froÌ„ which the body of a Religion differs not God hath disposed of euery one in that place and office which is 〈◊〉 pleasing to him neither are they so ordained only by chance but by his singular wisedome and prouidence If God therefore be pleased to haue you a foot it is no reason you should seeke to be a head if God haue ordained you only for a hand you do not wel in aspiring to be an eye O how deepe and high are the iudgments of Almighty God! and who is there who is able to comprehend them Sap. 9.13 quis enim hominum poterit sâ—â—re consilium Dei O Lord all things what so euer are proceeding from you and you are to be praised in euery thing you know what is requisit to bestow on euery one and it belongs not to vs to iudge and be inquisitiue to know the cause why one hath lesse conferred vpon him then an other how know you what would become of you if you had a wit and great abilities how know you if you had an excellent talent in preaching and your Sermons were followed with a great applause whether it would not be the cause of your vtter ouerthrow as it hath been of diuers others who therby haue become proud and exorbitantly vaine ThoÌ„ de Kempis the learned saith that holy man take delight to be seene and to be esteemed for such if you with that peÌ„ny worth of vnderstanding which you haue and halfe pennyworth of learning which you haue scraped together with that mediocrity or lesse then mediocrity of yours can be so vainly glorious to esteeme so highly of your selfe as to compare and perhaps prefer your selfe to others and to take it heinously that you are not imployed in this or the other thing and are not promoted aboue such such an one what would you do were you excellent indeed and had extraordinary partes aboue the rest The ant gets wings flies vnto its cost and so perhaps should that honour you desire proue to your greater losse Assuredly had we but eyes to see were not deceaued by looking through those false lights we should render infinite thankes to God for hauing disposed of vs in a state so vile and abiect and not bestowed vpon vs those excellent parts and great abilities and we should say with that holy seruant of his O Lord I esteeme it for a singular benefit not to haue those many qualities which might make me honoured and praised by men The Saints were not ignorant of that great danger which goes accompanied with preeminency and excellency and therfore they haue not only not sought after them but also shuÌ„ned and stood in feare of them by reason of the great perill there was in them of lifting men vp to pride throwing them headlong into ruine and perdition Ab altitudine dieitimebo this rendred them so acceptable to God who more dearly affects his seruants which are humble then the great O if we could but once throughly perswade our selues and truly vnderstand that all besides the doing of the will of God is but deceit and folly that we could but place all our contentmeÌ„t in pleasing of God Almighty If you in hauing lesse learning and perhaps none at all neither capacity for any are more pleasing vnto God wherfore are you so desirous to be learned why doe you wish for more knowledge and better partes if there were any motiue to make you couet it it should only be to serue God more faithfully and to content him in a more absolute manner now if God can be better serued by you vnlearned and without this great sufficiency wanting those tallents and extraordinary parts as it is most certaine he can since it is he alone who hath ordained it so why are you afflicted with it wherfore desire you to be that which God is not pleased to haue you which is no waies fit or conuenient for you Those riche sumptuous sacrifices of Saul were nothing pleasing to Almighty God 1. Reg. 13 10 c. 15.21 because they were not conformable to his will and he is as little pleased with your haughty and high desires Our being famous preachers and learned men confers nothing to our good nor helpes to our progresse in vertue and perfection neither our being endowed with rare partes and hauing deepe insight in obscure and lofty things but only in performance of the will of God and in the discharging well those things which we haue to doe and profitably imploying that tallent which we haue receaued and therfore we ought not to ayme at any higher thing since this is that only which God requires of vs. To explicate this the better the comparison which they bring of players is not impertinent where a man receaueth not his share according to the dignity of that part which he doth acte but according to the goodnes of his action whence it is that if he who played but the drudge haue performed it better then he who acted the part of the Emperour he shall haue more applause of the spectators and be thought worthy of a greater share by all equall Iudges Euâ—Ì„ so that which God esteems meriting reward praise in this mortall life of ours which is but as a Comedy quickly past and would to God it were not a Tragedy so metimes is not the part which we play the one a Preacher the other Superior this Sacristan or Porter but the well performing of their parts and therfore if the lay brother act his part better vnto the life then the Preacher or Superior he shal be more esteemed by God merit more applause honour recompence And as it is ordinary with the players that he who acts in Comicke excellent well as the Esquire errant or Country clowne hath no grace or person for to acte a King and yet notwithstanding he is held an excellent actor so you perhaps are no waies fit to make a Superior or a Preacher of and should performe with good satisfaction the office of a Ghostly Father or Coadiutor God knowes well how to fit euery actor with his part and appoint each one that office which he can do the best Vnicuique secundum propriam virtutem our Lord says the holy
Euangel distributs his gifts and tallents respectiuely to the ability of euery one and therfore one man is not to desire the part or tallent of an other man but all are to indeauour to performe that part well which is a appointed them and imploy to best aduantage that tallent which they haue receaued and keepe a cleere account and so they shall come to please God Almighty the best and be rewarded with greater recompence THE XVI CHAPTER Of the conformity which we are to haue with the will of God in time of sicknes SIcknesse is as well a guift of God as health and sent vs by him for our tryall correction and amendment as also for diuers other commodities and profits which are proceeding from it as the knowledge of our infirmity the discouery of our presumption our riddance of the loue of worldly things and of the concupiscences of sensuality the deading and diminishing in vs the forces of the flesh our Capitall enemy and giuing vs to vnderstand that the place where we liue is not our owne country but like an Inne which we haue taken vp in manner of passengers and wretched bannish't men and diuers other commodities besides for this reason the wiseman hath said infirmitas grauis sobriam facit animam grieuous infirmity makes an vnderstanding soule and therfore we are to conforme our selues as well vnto the will of God in sicknesse as in health and receaue it when soeuer God shall please to send it vs as proceeding from his holy hand One of those ancient Fathers said vnto his Disciple who was sicke my soÌ„ne be not grieued at your infirmity but on the contrary render hearty thanks to God Almighty for it for if you be iron this is a fire for to take of your ruste if you be gould this is a fire to try you to render thanks to God when we are sicke is an acte of great vertue and worthily beseeming a true Religious soule Surius relats in the life of S. Clare how that for eight and twenty yeares together shee was afflicted with grieuous infirmities in all which time her patience was so inuincible as she was neuer heard to vtter any complaint or vse any murmuring speeches in those her violent fitts but shee continued alwaâ—es thanking and praising God and in her last sicknesse wâ—en shee was so tormented as for seauenteen daies together she could not eate one bit Fryer Reginald her Ghostly Father comforting her and exhorting her to patience in so long and dolorous a martyrdome as shee suffered in so much sicknesse and infirmity shee answered neuer since I haue been acquainted with the grace of my Lord Iesus Christ through the intercession of S. Francis his humble seruant hath any sicknesse seemed hard vnto me any paine grieuous or any penance sore and troublesome In this kind also is the life of Saint Liduuine admirable and of great example as also giuing great courage and comfort vnto those who are sicke who for eight and thirty yeares together was oppressed with most grieuous and extraordinary diseases and paines and for thirty yeares could neuer rise from that poore couch on which she lay or susteine her selfe on her feet in all which time our Sauiour visited her with high and singular fauours But for as much as diuers particular reasons do vse to present themselues vnder the colour and shew of greater good vnto the hinderance of this indifferency and conformity it is requisite that we solue and answere them And first some one may say for my part it is all one to me whether I be sicke or well only that which troubles me is that I feare I am a burthen to those of the house a charge vnto the ReligioÌ„ vnto this I answere that this is nothing els then to coÌ„dâ—Ì„ne the Superior those of the house of waÌ„t of charity litle resignation to the will of God the Superiors are vnderstood to be arriued to that perfection to receaue all as coÌ„ming from the hand of God and to conforme theÌ„selues in all vnto his blessed will and so if God be pleased that you should be sicke that one should be imployed in nothing els then in teÌ„ding to the recouery and the care of you they are likewise well content as you beare that crosse which God hath sent you so do they likewise sustaine that which God would haue them beare with great conformity But you will reply I sufficiâ—Ì„tly see in this point the great charity of the Society and nothing troubles me but to thinke how much profit I could make in studying preaching hearing confessions how I cannot imploy my selfe in any of these by reason of my sicknesse Vnto which S. Augustin answeres excellent well saying that we know not whether it were better to do that which we pretend or no and therfore are to propose nothing vnto our selues aboue our capacity and if afterwards we can execute that which we designed we are not to reioyce because that which we intended desired is brought to passe but because in it the will of God is done and if that which we ordeined be not effected we are not therfore to be troubled and loose our peace of mind seing that aequius est vt nos eâ—us quam vt ille nostram sâ—quatur voluntatem it is more reasonable that we should followe Gods will then he ours And glorious S. Augustin coÌ„cluds with an admirable sentence Nemo melius ordinat quid agat nisi qui paratior est non agere quod diuina posestate prohibitur quam cupidior agere quod humana cogitatione meditatur there is no man doth better dispose of what he would do then he who is readier to do nothing that the diuine authority may forbid then desirous to do that which in his owne thoughts he intends We are then to determine and dispose of things with such indifferency as to be alwaies prepared to conforme our selues vnto the will of God if by any chance our pretensions might be crossed and so we should neuer be grieued or troubled if through sicknes or any other casualty we could not bring that to passe which we had purposed although the thing in it selfe were of neuer so great consequence for the good of soules Master Auila writing vnto a Priest visited with sicknesse saith wondrous well doe not consider so much what you could do if you were well as how pleasing you should be to God in being well content for to be sicke and if you seeke purely the will of God as I suppose you do what matter is it whether you be sicke or well seing that his will alone is all our good S. Chrisostom saith that holy Iob did merit more and did please God more in this Iob. 1.21 Sicut Domino placuit ita factum est sit nomen Domini benedictum it is so falne out as it hath pleased God be his name euer blest and in conforming himselfe in all his miseries
ground our selues surely confiding in that infinit goodnes and mercy of God that he would send vs nothing neither permit the like calamities and aduersides vnles they were tending to a greater good God takes this way for to lead many to heauen who otherwise would go astray and vttedy be lost How many are there who by means of these afflictions conuert theÌ„selues with their whole hearts to God and dying with true repentance for their sinnes are saued who otherwise had been damned perpetually and so that which appeares a scourge and punishmeÌ„t is a singular benefit and inestimable mercy In the second booke of the Machabees the Author after he had recounted that horrible and cruell persecution of impious King Antiochus the abundance of blood he shed which both old men and children Matrons and young Virgins vaines contributed the pillage and profaning of the Temple with the abominations committed there by his commandement concludeth in these words Obsecro autem eos qui hÅc librum lecturi sunt 2. Mach. 22. ne abhorrescant propter aduersos casus fed reputent ea quae acciderunt non ad interitum fed ad correptionem esse generis nostri but I beseech those who are to read this booke that they abhorre not for the aduersities but that they account those things which haue happened not to be for the destruction but for the chastising of our stocke by the permission and disposure of Almighty God S. Gregory saith vnto this purpose excellent well Greg. li. 2. mor. c. 32. the horseleech draweth out and sucketh the bloud of the sicke and that which it pretends it to glut it selfe with it and if it could to draw the vaines of the sicke person dry but the intention of the Phisitian is to haue them sucke out all the corrupted blood and to restore the sicke vnto his health againe the like intention hath Almighty God in sending vs aduersities and tribulations and as he should do indiscreetly who would not suffer his corrupted blood to be drawne out of him for hauing more regard vnto that which the Horsleech pretends then to the inteÌ„tion of the Phisitian so in what so euer aduersity whether it come vnto vs by the procurement of men or els by means of any other creature we are not so much to haue regard to it as vnto God our soueraigne Phisitian seing they all serue him in the nature of Horsleeches to draw out our corrupted blood from vs and to restore vs vnto perfect health And consequently we are to belieue and know that he sends them all vnto vs for our greater vtility and good and although he had no other end in them but only as childreÌ„ to correct vs in this life that there might remaine no punishment in the other for vs to vndergoe it were no small fauour which he should do vs in it It is reported of S. Katherine of Sienna In vita S. Cathaâ— Senen p. 2. c. 4. that as shee once was much troubled because an other had giuen false testimony against her in a matter which concerned her honour our Sauiour Christ appeared vnto her houlding in his right hand a golden crowne adorned with pretious stones and in hisleft a crowne of thornes and said my beloued daughter know that thou must be crowned with either of these crownes at seuerall times therfore choose for the present that which you like the best either in this life to be crowned with this thorny crowne and haue this other pretious one reserued vntill the other life for you which neuer shall haue end or now to haue this riche and gorgious crowne and haue the wreath of thornes kept for you till you dy Vnto whom the holy Virgin answered deere Lord I haue long time since forsaken mine owne will to embrace yours and therfore now it becomes not me to choose but neuertheles if you would haue me to resolue I am minded as long as I shall remaine in life to conforme my selfe vnto your sacred passion and will embrace all tribulations for your deere loue and my consolation and hauing said this shee tooke the crowne of thornes with her owne hands out of his and with all her might crusheâ— it vpon her head so forcibly that the thornes pearced her in euery part therof in such manner as for a long time after the violent paine of her head witnessed the force with which they were driuen in THE XXIII CHAPTER Of a certaine means which will helpe vs much to receaue and support with great resignation all those aduersities which our Lord shall send vs as well in particular as in generall which is the knowledge and feeling of our sinnes IT is a common doctrine of the holy Fathers that God for the most part doth send vs afflictions and chastisements in generall for the sinnes which we haue committed it is the frequent language of the holy scripture Dan. â— 28 sequentib Induxistiomnia haec propter peecata nostra peccauimus enim inique egimus praecepta tua non audiuimus omnia ergo quae induxisti super nos vniuersa quae fecisti nobis in vero iudicio fecisti thou hast brought in all these things for our sinnes for we haue sinned and done vniustly and thy precepts we haue not heard all things therfore that thou hast brought in vpon vs and all things that thou hast done to vs thou hast done with true Iudgment And so we see that God punished his people and deliuered them ouer vnto the hands of heir enemies when they had offended him deliuered them againe when the did pennance and repented them of their sinnes returning vnto him againe and for this cause Achior Captaine and Prince of the sonnes of Amon Iudith â— 5 hauing declared to Holofernes what a particular care God had of the children of Israel how he sheltred them vnder the wings of his protection as also how he chastized them when they departed from his obedience counsailed him before he enterprized any thing against them to informe himselfe whither for the present they had offended God seing then he might assure himselfe of the victory els he had better leaue of his enterprize for he could not preuaile against them nor come of with lesse then shame and confusion seing that God did fight for his people whom no man was so mighty to withstand And the holy Doctors do particularly gather this same from those words of our Sauiour in the EuaÌ„gell vnto him who had laine eight thirty yeares by the Probaticke Poole to be cured of his infirmity Ioan. 5.14 Ecce sanus factus es iam noli peccare ne deterius tibi aliquid contingat Behould said our Sauiour after he had cured him thou art made whole herafter sinne no more least some worse thing happen vnto thee and in conformity to this it will be a good means and much helping vs in all calamities and afflictions aswell generall as particular vnto
of Sienna Blos c. 4. monil spirit that she was for the space of many daies destitute of all spirituall consolation and had no feeling left of the feruour of her wonted deuotion being moreouer vexed with most wicked and filthy thoughts from which by no meanes shee could deliuer herselfe and yet notwithstanding shee neuer omitted her prayer but perseuered in it as well as shee could and with as much circumspection and care as was possible speaking vnto her selfe in this manner O thou most vile and wreched sinner thou dost deserue no consolation for what ought it not to suffice thee although thou wert to suffer these afflictions spirituall nights thy whole life long if finally thou mightest not be damned as thou deseruest assuredly thou madest choice to serue God on no such condition as to receaue consolations from him here but that thou might enioy him in heauen for all eternity Arise therfore and prosecute thy wonted exercises and continue faithfull to so good a Lord. Let vs then imitate these examples conforme our comfort vnto this saying of that holy man Tho. de Kempis O my Lord I esteeme this my consolation to be well content to want all humaÌ„ne comfort and if comfort from thee do fraile me thy will and righteous probation of me shall serue me for the best of all contentments If we be but once arriued to this height of perfection to esteeme the good will and pleasure of God to be all our ioy and delight so as euen to take pleasure to be depriued of all comfort in considering it to be his blessed will and pleasure then we shall be in possession of true content indeed and such as nothing in the world can bereaue vs of THE XXIX CHAPTER Wherin that which hath been said is confirmed by some examples IT is recounted in the Chronicles of the Order of S. Dominiâ—â—â— B. FraÌ„cis de Castillo 1. p. lib. 1. c. 6. hist Ord. Prâ— how on of the Principall Religious of that Order liued many yeares in that holy Order a singular patterne of exemplar life and of an excellent purity of mind without euer enioying any consolation or finding any tast or delight in the performance of his Religious exercises neither in meditating prayer or spirituall reading This Religious man hearing on the otherside frequent mention made of those great fauours high graces and spirituall feelings which God did vsually communicate to others became halfe desperate and one night in a deepe discontent he burst out in his prayer before a Crucifix into these much vnaduised words which were accompanied with many a bitter â—care O Lord I heare it commonly reported of you that in goodnes and sweetnes you surpasse all your creatures behold me here who haue serued you many yeares and suffered for your sake much tribulation hauing made a willing sacrifice of my selfe to your only seruice had I serued any TyraÌ„t but a quarter of this time without doubt he would haue long since some waies declared himselfe well pleased with me either by a good word had I desired so much or a gratefull looke or some pleasant smile or other but you ô God you haue not done me the least good or fauour or shewed me any of those graces which you do to others but you you who are sweetnes it selfe haue handled me more cruelly then a hundred tyrants oh God what is the meaning of this miserable as I am why do you ordeine it so he had no sooner vttred these fearfull words but he heard so mighty and horrible a cracke as if the whole Church had been shattering downe and on the roufe was such a hideous noise as if a thousand rauenous hounds had been tearing vp the planchers with their teeth wherupon being astonished all trembling through feare he cast vp his head for to serch out the cause he perceaued ouer his shouldiers standing the most horrible and vglie sight as euer man had seen a diuell weldeing a huge barre of yroÌ„ with which he gaue him so mighty a blow vpon the body as he stroke him flat to ground without being able to lift vp himselfe againe neuertheles he inforced himselfe so much as to crawle to the protection of an Altar not farre from him where he found himselfe so pittifully bruzed that he could not stire a limbe all his body remaining as if it had been broken and disioynted with the force of blowes In the morning when the Religious came into the Church to Prime they found him all streched at length lying vpon the ground without any motion as if he had been dead and without being able to gesse the cause of such a sodaine and dolefull accident they caried him into the infirmary where he remained for three weeks together in most miserable torment breathing from him a stench so filthy horrible that the Religious could not approch vnto him to bring him any remedy or reliefe without first stopping their noses and preparing themselues before with certaine preseruatiues at the end of this time he began a little to recouer strength and as soone as he perceaued himselfe able to go vpon his legges he to cure his foolish presumption pride and seeke remedy at that place where through his fault he had receaued his wound went into the Church and with a profound humility seasoned in many teares he made a prayer far different from the former confessing his fault and acknowledging himselfe vnworthy of any spirituall fauour but on the contrary meriting the greatest punishments Wherupon our Lord did comfort him with a voice from heauen saying vnto him if thou desirest to enioy spirituall gust and consolation thou must be humble and acknowledge thine owne basenes and vility knowing thy selfe to be more contemptible then durt and of lesse value then the very wormes which thou dost crush to earth vnder thy feet herwith he toke so faire a warning that therupon he became a perfect Religious man We read an other example far different from this of our B. F. S. Ignatius Lib. 5. c. 1. vitae S. P. Ignat. who as it is recorded in his life reflecting vpon his faults and deeply sorrowing for them was wont to say that he desired in punishment of them that our Lord would sometimes depriue him of the deliciousnesse of his consolations vnto the eÌ„d that feeling the curbe therof he might be put in mind to carry himselfe with more care and circumspection in God Almighties seruice But the mercy of out good God was so great towards him and the multitude of his sweetnes and suauity of his grace so aboundaÌ„tly great that the oftener he fell and the more earnestly he desired to feele the punishment in some such rigourous manner the more gratious our Lord did shew himself vnto him and in the greater aboundance did he shower downe vpon him the treasures of his infinit liberality And so he vsed to say that he did verely beleeue there was not a man
go presently to heauen seing the good pleasure of God and the fulfilling of his holy will is my only content and glory Psal 3.4 tu es gloria mea exaltans caput meum There is recounted of our B. F. S. Ignatius Lib. 3. c. 2. vitae S. P. Ignat. a rare and remarkable example in this kind he being on day with F. Laynes and others vpon the occasion of a discourse they had said to F. Laynes what would you do in case our Lord should propose to your choice in this manner If you will dy presently I will release you from the prison of your body and bestow vpon you my eternall glory but if you will liue longer I giue you no certainty of what may happen to you but vpon your perill be it so as if you liue and perseuer in vertue I will reward you for it eternally If you cease to be good I will Iudge you according to your works If I say our Sauiour should say thus vnto you and you in remaining longer in life could do some great and notable seruice to his diuine Maiestie what do you thinke should you choose what would you answer him vnto whom F. Laynes replyed I confesse ingeniously to your Reuerence that I should choose to go instantly to enioy Almighty God and put my saluation in security leauing nothing to daunger in a thing of so high consequeÌ„ce Then said our B. Father to him for my part I do assure you I should not do so but if I imagined that with longer liuing I could do God any particular seruice I should humbly beseech him to giue me life so long vntill I had discharged it and should haue no regard vnto my selfe but all to him without careing either for mine owne daunger or security And in this doing he was not of opinioÌ„ that he should put his saluation in ieopardy or daunger but rather that he should the more secure it seing that out of confidence in God he had chosen for his greater seruice to remaine here exposed still to daungers For what King or Prince is there in the world said he who after he had offered his seruant some extraordinary recompence for his seruice and the seruant had respited the acceptance of it the better to do some important thing for him who would not hold himselfe in a manner obliged not only to reserue it for him but to giue it him afterwards with addition seing that he had depriued himselfe of the present possession of it only out of loue to him and his affection to do him greater seruice Now if men who are so forgetfull of benefits and ingratfull will do so much how much more are we to hope for from such a Lord who with his grace hath so preuented vs and obliged vs with so many speciall fauours how can we feare that he will abandon vs and let vs fall when we haue differd our beatitude and forborne the fruition of it for his sake alone We cannot beleeue not feare so much of such a Lord as he THE XXXII CHAPTER Of conformity vnion and perfect loue of God and how we are to apply this exercise to practise THat we may the better perceaue the perfection and excellency which is comprized in this exercise as also how farre we may arriue by means of it we will for end and conclusion to this treatise speake somewhat of that sublime exercise of the loue of God as it is tought by the Saints and Masters of spirituall life and it seemeth to come fitly for our purpose seing that one of the principall effects of loue according to S. Denis the Areopagit is to make the will of the beloued it s owne S. Dion cap 4. de diuin nomin so as to will and not will the same in euery thing whence the more one hath of conformity with God Almighties will the more he hath of the loue of God and the more loue he hath the more straitly is he vnited and conformed vnto his will To declare this the better it is necessary that we ascend into heauen with our consideration and behold in what manner the blessed there are louing and conforming themselues vnto the likeing the will of God in hauing one will with him since the nigher we shall coÌ„forme our selues to that the more perfect shall be our exercise The glorious Apostle and Euangelist S. Iohn saith that the vision of God doth beget in the blessed a similitude vnto him Quoniam cum apparuerit similes ei erimus quoniam videbimus eum sicuti est and that because in seing God they are in such maÌ„ner vnited with him â—oan 3.2 and transformed into him that they haue in common but one will and liking Now let vs see what is this will liking and loue of God that we may withall arriue to know what the desire and will of the blessed is and gather from thence what our will perfect loue ought to be The will of God and his most soueraigne and perfect loue is his owne glory and his being so supremly perfect and glorious as he is and this is the same loue which possesseth the blessed in heauen so that the loue of the Saints and blessed is a loue and desire by which with all their forces they loue and desire that God should be what he is and of himselfe so good so glorious so worthy of â—ll honour and so mighty as he is and seing they behold in God all which they do desire therfore is it that they reioyce in full fruition of that fruite of the holy Ghost of which the Apostle speaketh Ad Gala. 5.22 fructus autem spiritus est gaudium to wit an vnspeakeable ioy to behold him whom they so dearly loue so rich in himselfe with euery better thing FroÌ„ that which we see ordinarily to happen in this world we may giue an imperfect gesse at the Diuine Ioy which the blessed in heauen receaue in this particular Do but marke how great the ioy and contentment is of a child here on earth to see his Father whom he tenderly respecteth beloued honoured and gratfull vnto all or wise rich mighty and gratious with his King assuredly there are children of so toward nature and choyce education as will not sticke to say that there is no ioy in the world to be compared to that which they receaue froÌ„ seeing their Fathers in so prosperous state Now if this ioy here can be so great where loue is so cold and the things which occasion their ioy so slight and poore what may the contentment of the blessed be to see their rightfull â—ord and Creator and their celestiall Father into whom they are so transformed through loue so good so holy so excellently faire so infinitly powerfull and great how all created things haue their being and beauty from his will alone without which not a single leafe can shake vpon a tree which saith the Apostle S. Paul is a ioy so
great 1. Cor. 2.9 as neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor any heart hath comprehended it This is that deepe and mighty riuer which S. Iohn saw in his reuelations Apoc 22.1 Psal 45.5 flowing forth from the Throne of God and from the Lambe reioycing the Citty of Almighty God of whose waters the blessed in heauen do drinke and being incbriat with this holy loue chaunt out perpetually that Alleluia of which S. Iohn doth speake together blessing and glorifying God Apo. 19.6 7. Alleluia quoniam regnauit Dominus Deus noster omnipotens gaudeamus exultemus demus glorianeâ— there they reioyce and are delighted with the greatnes of God Almighties glory congratulating with him and rendring him a thousand benedictions for the same with an incredible ioy and iubilation Apoc. 7. â—â— Benedâ—câ—io claritas sapientia gratiarum actio honor virtus fortitudo Deo nostro in saecula saeculâ—rum Amen This is the loue which the Saints do beare to Almighty God in heauen this is their vnity conformity with his blessed will speaking in proportion to our meane capacity and this is that which according to our small ability we are to indeauour to imitate on earth that the wilâ— of God may be done on earth as it is in heauen Exod. 25.40 Inspice fac secundum exemplar quod tibi in monte monstratum est marke well and do according to that patterne which hath been shewed you in the mount said our Lord vnto Moyses when he commaunded him to erect him a Tabernacle M. Auâ—a to 1. cp P. Fran. Arias p. 2. profect spir tra 5. c. 3. 4. P Lud. de PueÌ„t 2. to mc. dit p. 6. and so ought we to do all things here conformable to that modell and sampler which is proposed vnto vs to worke after on that high mountaine of glory and so are we to loue and desire that which the blessed in heauen loue desire as also that which God himselfe both willeth and liketh which is his glory and his being soueraignly perfect and glorious Now vnto the end that each one may the better bestow himselfe vpon this holy exercise we will in briefe declare the practise of it When you are in prayer consider with your vnderstanding the infinit being of God his eternity his omnipotence his infinit wisdome beauty glory and blessednes and then exercise the affections of ioy and pleasure with your will making it your only delight and comfort that God is what he is that he is God that he hath his being and endles goodnes only depeÌ„dant on himselfe without standing in need of any one wheras all besides do stand in need of him in that he is omnipotent supreamly good exceeding glorious and all with in himselfe In the like manner are we to consider all the other perfections and infinit good which is in Almighty God â— Tho. 2â— q. 28. art 5 ad 3. ar 1 This as S. Thomas saieth and with him the diuins in generall is the greatest and perfectest acte of the loue of God and so likewise is it the most supreme and excellent exercise of conformity with the will of God seing there is no greater nor perfecter loue of God theÌ„ that which God doth beare vnto himselfe which is the loue of his owne glory and being towit souerainly perfect and glorious neither can any one haue a better will then this Therfore the more excellent and perfect your loue shall be the greater resemblance it shall haue vnto the loue which God doth beare himselfe and the more great and perfect likewise shall be our vnion and conformity with his omnipotent will Moreouer the Philosophers do teach Aristoâ— Rhet. lâ— 2. c. 4. that amare est velle alicui bonum cius causaâ— non sui ipsius to loue is to wish good vnto an other not for his owne sake but his only whom he loueth whence it followeth that the more good we wish an other the more loue we beare him Now the greatest good which we can wish Almighty God is that which he hath already as his infinit being his goodnes wisdome omnipotence and endles glory When we beare affection to any creature we are not only delighted with the good which he is owner of but haue also scope to wish him some good beyond that which he hath already seing the goodnes of all creatures may receaue addition but we cannot wish any good to God which already he is not possessed of seing he 〈◊〉 euery way infinit and so can haue no more power no more glory no more wisedome nor more goodnes then he hath And for this cause the greatest good which we can wish to him and consequently the greatest loue which we can beare him is to be glad and reioyce and to take all our pleasure contentment that God hath so much good as he hath that he is so good as he is so rich so powerfull so infinit and glorious Hence it is that as the Saints which are in heauen and the most sacred humanity of Christ our Sauiour together with his glorious virgin Mother all the Quires of Angels do reioyce to see God so beautiful superabounding with euery good which ioy and delight of theirs cannot conteine it selfe from bursting forth into loud praises of such an excellent Lord neither can they be satisfied with blessing and praising of him without end And as the holy Prophet singeth Psal 83.5 Beati qui habitant in domo tua Domine in saecula saeculorum laudabunt te euen so ought we to vnite our hearts and raise our voyces to that high pitch of theirs as we are taught by our holy Mother the Church cum quibus nostras voces vt admitti iubeas deprecamur supplici coÌ„fessione dicentes Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth plenisâ—nt caeli terra gloriatua We ought perpetually or with the greatest frequency as we can to praise and glorify God in reioycing and delighting our selues with that glory and soueranity which he hath blessing him and congratulating with him for the same wherby we shall resemble in our imperfect manner the blessed in heauen and Almighty God himselfe exercising tho highest act of loue and the most perfect conformity with the will of God as can possibly be imagined THE XXXIII CHAPTER How much this exercise is commended vnto vs and inculcated in holy scripture WE may yet better comprehend the value and excellency of this exercise and conceiue how acceptable it is to God in that it is so much recommended and often iterated in the holy scripture whence also we may lay hold on the occasion to exercise it more and insist vpon it longer The Royall Prophet Dauid in his Psalmes doth almost in euery verse inuite vs to this holy exercise Psal 31.21 Psal 32.1 Psal 36.4 Laetamini in Domino exultate iusti gloriamini omnes recti corde