and vitious inclinations We are not ignorant how highly necessary this mortification is how much it is commended and extolled in the sacred scripture and by the B. Saints Now this mortification is a meanes which of necessity must precede the attaining of this conformity with the will of God this being the end and mortification the meanes to arriue vnto it and we know the principall end of any thing is vsually more sublime and perfect then the meanes That mortification is a necessary meanes to attaine vnto this vnion and intire and perfect conformity with the will of God we may vnderstand by this that there is nothing which lets and hinders this vnion and conformity but only our proper wil and disordinate appetits and so consequently the more they shall be mortified and ouercome the more deare and strait wilt this vnion be and this conformity with the wil of God For to ioyne a rough hewen planch and make it ly euen with an other which is wel smoothed and plained we must first passe it ouer with the plainer and make it euen and so in like manner mortification goes perfecting polishing vs vntill it make vs fit to be ioyned to God and applied in all things to his holy will and therefore the farther we shall proceed in mortifying our selues the nigher we shall come to vnite conioyne our selues vnto the will of God and when we shall once come to be perfectly mortified we shal then haue attained vnto this perfect vnion and conformity From hence proceeds an other good and profit which we may reckon for the third and that is that this resignation and enrire conformity with the will of God is on of the greatest and most acceptable sacrifices which any man of him selfe can offer to Almighty God For as much as in other sacrifices he offers only his goods but in this himselfe is offred vp in other sacrifices and mortifications he only mortifies himselfe in part in temperance modesty silence or patience he offers but a part and portion of himselfe but in this a perfect holocaust whereby he offers himselfe entirely and altogether to his Diuine Maiestie to be disposed of in all things as he pleaseth and when and how he pleaseth without any exceptiō or any reseruation to himselfe and therfore there is as much difference betwixt this sacrifice and all other sacrifices and mortifications as betwixt a man and those goods which belong vnto him or the whole of any thing and any part thereof And this God esteems so highly of that he seems to require nothing els of vs Prou 23.26 Praebe fili mi cor tuum mihi my sonne giue me thy harte as the Royall Eagle seekes no other pray then harts so the most gratefull and acceptable thing to God is this hart of ours and if you giue him not this it is labour lost to present him with any thing besides for he regards it not Neither if we consider it well is it so great a thing which he demaunds of vs when he requires our harts seeing that if we who are only dust and ashes cannot be satiat or content with all those thinges which God hath euer created and that our caytiue narrow harts cannot be filled with any thing which is lesse then God how can we thinke to giue God any satisfaction and content in affording him but halfe our harts reseruing the other halfe vnto ou◠selues wee are most grosly abused if we thinke our harts can admit of any such diuision coangust atum est enim stratum Esay 28.20 ita vt alter decidat pallium breue vtrumque operire non potest the hart is a little and strait bed saith the Prophet Esay and is capable of God alone wherfore the spouse in the Canticles doth call it her little bed In lectulo meo quaesini per nocles quem diligit anima mea Gilbert Abbas ser 〈◊〉 in Cāt. ap in my little bed I haue sought in the night him whom my soule dearly loues and because shee kept her harte so straitned that no other could lodge in it Bernarin Cant. 3.1 besides her be loued Bridgroom and who soeuer should seeke to extend his hart so farre as to make roome for any on besides would chase God out of it And it is of that which his Diuine Maiestie makes complaint by the Prophet Esay Esay 57. ◠quia iuxta me discooperuisti suscepisti Adulterum dilatasti cubile tuum pepegisti cum eis faedus you haue committed Adultery by receauing into the bed of your hart any other besides your spouse and to cloke this your wickednes you betray and driue God from you If we had a thousand harts we were bound to make tender of them all to God and yet we were to conceit we had done too little in regard of what we owe of duty vnto so great a Lord. The fourth is that whosoeuer shall haue brought himselfe to this conformity will be possessed with the perfect charity and loue of God and the farther progresse he makes in it the greater and dearer will be his loue of God and consequently his perfection which consists in this perfect loue and charity and besides that which we haue already said may be farther gathered from that which we are to cōclude with all seing the loue of God cōsists not in words Greg hō in Euāg but in effects and workes Probatio dilectionis saith S. Gregory exhibitio est operis the proofe of our loue is the tender of our workes the more hard and painfull to accomplish those workes shall be the more do they declare our loue and affection and so the Apostle and Euangelist S. Iohn going about to declare the great loue which God did beare vnto the world as also the greatnes of our B. Sauiours loue vnto his eternall Father Ioan. 3.16 of the first he says God so loued the world as he gaue his only begotten sonne to suffer and die for vs and for the second our B. Sauiour himselfe speaking saith Ioan. 14 3. that the world may know how I loue my Father and that I doe according as my Father hath commaunded me rise and let vs goe hence the place to which he went was to the crosse to suffer shame torments death for vs. In which he made it sufficiently appeare vnto the world that he loued his Father in so much as he was obedient to him in a commaund so hard and rigorous Wherefore we conclude that our loue appeares best in our Actions and most when they shall be most great and laborious Moreouer this entire conformity with the will of God is as we haue said the greatest sacrifice which of our selues we can offer vp vnto him that because it supposes a most perfect mortification and resignation whereby a man offers vp himselfe to God and wholly resignes himselfe into his hands to dispose of him in what manner so euer he
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
Sauiour Christ personally appeare vnto vs and say behold my sonne see this is that which I desire of you I would haue you to suffer this paine or sicknes at this time for my sake it is my pleasure to make vse of you in this or the other office it is most certaine I say that we should vndertake it most willingly euen our whole liues long were it a thing of the greatest difficulty in the world and esteem our selues highly honoured and happy men that God would vouchsaffe to serue himselfe with vs and we should gather only from his commaunding it that it were the best and conuenientest thing of all others for our saluatioÌ„ without doubting in the least kind therof Fourthly we ought to reduce this exercise to practise both in our prayers and other exercises by deluing and sinking deepe into this rich mine of so fatherly and particular a prouidence as God hath of vs to the end that we may the better know how to make due vse of such an inexhaustable treasure as we shall goe declaring in the following Chapters THE X. CHAPTER Of Gods fatherly and particular prouidence of vs and of the filiall confidence which we ought to haue in him AMong other the great riches and and treasures which we enioy who are in the Catholike Church one of the greatest is Gods fatherly and particular prouidence of vs it being most certaine that there is nothing can arriue vnto vs which hath not first passed and been recorded by the hand of God And so the Prophet says Psal 5.13 Domine vt scuto bonae voluntatis tuae coronasti nos thou hast enuironed and defended vs ô Lord with that good will of thine as with a sheeld of defence we are round incompassed with this good will of God in such manner as nothing can come vnto vs which passeth not first by it and therfore there is nothing which we are to feare for he willet nothing passe but that which may be for our greater good Psal 20. 5 Quoniam abscondit me in tabernaculo suo in die malorum protexit me in abscondito tabernaculi sui The Prophet Dauid affirmes that God hides and preserues vs euen in the most secret of his Tabernacle and shelters vn vnder his wings and says yet more Psal 30.21 abscondes eos in abscondiâ—o faciei tuae our Lord doth hide vs in the most hidden part of all his face which are the eyes in whose apples he hath lodged vs and so an other version hath in oculis faciei tuae God hath made vs the very apples of his eyes to verify that which is said in an other place Ps 16.8 Zach. 2.8 Custodi me vt pupillam oculi qui tetigerit vos tangit pupillam oculi mei We are warrented vnder his defence and protection as the apples of his eyes and they are the words of God whosoeuer touches you shall touch me in the sight of mine owne eyes Can thereby imagined a thing more rich more pretious or more worthy of all esteeme then this O that we could but maturely apprehend and penetrat this verity how defenc't and fortified should we find our selues how assured how coÌ„forted should we be in all our labours and necessities If here in this world one haue but a Father riche and mighty and one of the deerest fauourits of a King what coÌ„fideÌ„ce what assurance hath he in the successe of all his businesses knowing that the fauour authority and protection of his Father will not be wanting to him how much more reason haue we to be confident and assured whilst we consider that we haue him for our Father in whose hand is all the dominion of heauen and earth and that nothing can arriue vnto vs which passeth not first by his paternall hands if a sonne can repose himself vpon the confidence and assurance of his Fathers fauour how much more confidence ought we to haue in him who is more our Father then all other Fathers besides and in comparison with whom there is none deserues the tender name of Father for there are no bowells of loue which may be compared with the loue oâ— God to vs which surpasses by infinite degrees all the loues which euer earthly Fathers were sensible of we may well assure our selues that whatsoeuer such 〈◊〉 Father sends vs is for our greater vtility good seeing that loue which he beares vs in his only sonne permits him to doâ— nothing els then to procure the good of him for whose loue onely he deliuered ouer his sonne vnto the torments of the crosse Ad RoÌ„ 8.32 Qui etiam proprio filio suo non pepercit sâ—d pro nobis omnibus tradidit illum quomodo non etiam cum illo omnia nobis donauit says the Apostle S. Paul he who hath not spared his only sonne but hath deliuered him ouer vnto death for all of vs how can it be but he hath giuen vs with him all other things he hath giuen vs the most he could and will he deny vs any little thing Now if all men ought to haue such confidence in God Almighty hâ—w much more Religious men whom he hath receaued particularly for his owne and giuen them both the spirit and hart of sonnes indeed inuiting them to abandon forsake the Fathers of their flesh and blood and to make choice of him for their only true Father with what hart what fatherly teÌ„dernes shall God loue such as these what care what prouidence shall he haue of them Psal 26.10 Quoniam pater meus mater mea dereliquerunt me Dominus autem assumpsit me a happy choice you haue made of such a deare Father in place of those parents whom you haue departed with you may now with more reason and greater confidence say Psal 22.1 Dominus regit me nihil mihi deerit God hath taken vpon him the charge of me the care of me and all that belongs to me and I shall want for nothing Psal 39.18 Ego autem mendicus sum pauper Dominus solicitus est mei I am t' is true a begger needy and poore but God is solicitous and carefull for me who would not be comforted with this nay who would not euen melt away in the loue of such a God Oh who are you ô Lord who haue taken vpon you the charge of me and haue so intense a care of me as if in heauen and earth you had no other creature to gouerne but me alone Oh that we could but delue and make passage deepe inough into this so viscerall so paternal loue prouidence and protection which God Almighty hath of vs From hence is begotten in the faithfull seruants of Almighty God a most familiar and filiall confidence in him which is so excessiue in some that there is no child in tâ—e world who confids so much at all assays in the protection of his Father as they in God seeing they know right well that
composed only of eyes of feet of hands or heads but that there should be different meÌ„bers in his Churcâ— so is it as much vnfitting that this particular and excellent manner of prayer which we haue mentioned in a treaâ—ise therof apart Trâ—ct 5. c. 4. 5. should be communicated to euery on and it is as little necessary seing they merit it not or supposing that they do yet may they merit more in other things in the graunting of which vnto them God may oblige them with a greater fauour then in bestowing vpon them this prerogatiue There hath been diuers great and holy Saints vnto whom we do not know whither our Lord hath in this kind been so fauourable or if this grace were added to the aboundance of the rest they haue said with S. Paul that they tooke no glory in it nor had it in any singular esteeme but all their glory was to beare the crosse of Christ Ad Gala. 6.14 Mihi autem absit gloriari nisi in cruce Domini nostri Iesu Christi M Auila treating of this hath a saying of great consolation M. Auila to 2 epis fol. 22. God saith he leaueth some in desolation for many yeares and oftentimes for their whole liues and for my part I beleeue that the lot and portion of these persons is best of all if they haue but so much faith as not to censure euill of it and withall patience courage to suffer so straunge an accident and long a banishment If one could but perswade himselfe that this condition is the best for him he would easily coÌ„forme his owne will to that which God desires The holy Saints Tract 5. c. 20. and Masters of spirituall life do bring many reasons to the declaring and prouing that this part or portion is the better for them AmoÌ„g the rest we will content our selues with one of the most important of them confirmed by the authorities of S. Augustin S. Hierom and S. Gregory as also of most of those who haue handled this argument which is that all haue not sufficieÌ„t ability to conserue themselues in their humility in such a height of contemplation seing we can scarcely wring out a teare or two but we presently perswade our selues we are become spirituall men and high contemplatiues whence we proceed to compare perhaps prefer our selues to other men And euen the Apostle S. Paul himselfe did seeme to stand in need Aug. lib. de oraÌ„dâ— DeuÌ„ quâ— est epist 121. Hier. su illud ThreÌ„ 〈◊〉 sed cuÌ„ clamauero rogauero exclusit ora tionem meam Greg. li. â—0 mor. c. 21. 24. 2. Cor. 12.7 of some such counterpoise least otherwise he should haue been swaied to vanity Etne magnitudo reuelationuÌ„ extollat me datus est mihi stimulus carnis angelus satanae qui me colaphizet to the end that his being rapt to the third heauen and the high intelligences which he had there receaued might not stire him vp to pride God permitted him to be still haunted with a tentation which might be sufficient to humble him and make him know his owne infirmity Therfore although this way do seeme more eminent and high yet the other is more secure and so God who is most wise and who conducts vs vnto one end which is himselfe doth lead each one that way which is most conuenieÌ„t for him Perhaps if you enioyed that great familiarity with Almighty God in prayer in place of becoming humble and making your profit of it you would become more proud and arrogant wheras now you are conserued in humility and confusion and therfore this way is most proper for you most secure howeuer you may be ignorant of it Math. 20 22. Nescitiâ— quid petatis you know not what you aske S. Gregory to this purpose doth teach vs an excellent doctrine on this verse of Iob Greg. li. 9. mor. c. 7. Si venerit ad me non videbo eum si abierit Iob. 9.11 non iâ—â—eiligam if he come vnto me I will not see him and if he depart from me I will take no notice of it Man saith he is become so blind through sinne that he doth not know when he draweth nigh to God or when he departeth from him yea oftentimes that which he conceaus to be a great fauour of God and wherby he imagineth himself to approach nigh vnto him is that wherby he incurreth the offence of God and is the occasion of his farther separation from him and on the contrary that which he esteemeth to be the anger of God and wherby he gesses that God forsaketh him and casts him vtterly into forgetfulnes is Gods grace vnto him and the only thing which doth withhold him from departing from him And so who is there that doth not thinke when he finds himselfe plunged in high praver and contemplation and on the receauing hand of many graces and fauours from Almighty God that he is well aduanced on the way of a straicter vnion with his diuine Maiestie so oftentimes he cometh to waxe proud of these priuacies and graces and too secure and to confide in himselfe too much and the diuell by that way doth bring him to ouerthrow and ruine which he imagined to lead directly to a greater eminence and to approach nigher to Almighty God On the other side ofteÌ„times one shall find himselfe afflicted and desolate assaulted with greeuous and fierce tentatioÌ„s vexed with dishonest thoughts with horrid blasphemies and doubts of faith and thinke that God is mightily offended with him and that he vtterly forsaketh and leaueth him and then he is nigher vnto him then euer he was before seing by this meanes he is rendred more humble and more intelligent of his owne infirmity and so wholly diffiding in himselfe he hath recourse to God with more liuely vigour and resolution in placing all his confidence in him and making it all his care that he depart not from him So as that is not the best which seemeth so to you but it is conuenient you know that the way which God doth lead you is the best and most expedient for you Moreouer this very bitternes this griefe and trouble which you resent so much because you make not your prayers in your owne iudgment so well as you ought to do may be a new cause of consolation to you seing it is a particular grace and fauour of God and an infalible signe of your loue to him for there is no griefe where there is no loue we cannot be sorrowfull that we serue not God enough without some will and purpose to serue him well and therfore this paine griefe is begotten from the loue of God and the desire of better seruing him if you had no care how well or ill you serued him how your prayers did go and how your works were done it were an euill signe but to be sorry and afflicted because it seemeth to you you do nothing as