but for his heart nor the heart but for loue nor loue but to communicate thy goodnes to a reasonable creature and by such communication to make it eternally happie Thou wouldst ô Lord haue me aspire after this communication the toppe of our soueraigne Beatitude when thou commandst me to pray vnto thee that thy Kingdome come It is this onely thing which I begge of thy bountie that I may dwell with thee that is to say in thee for all Eternitie I loue the beautie of thy house which is no other then thyne owne essence and the sole ayme of my desires is the place of thy glorie Let me rest therin for euer and euer and according to my election and dilection let me dwell there euerlastingly Yet that I may enter thither according to thy pleasure ô my GLORIE ô my MERCY ô my God my Light my Saluation Loe how I lay downe all my pretentioÌ„s and proper interests at the Gate of thy holy Sion renouncing from my very heart the spirit of bondage and seruile feare which would make me flie the accursed Eternitie for no other reason ô disaster then that I should be ther the eternall Obiect of thy wroth and hatred renouÌ„cing also that mercenarie spirit which would make me wish for the Blessed Eternitie for other ends then to loue blesse and praise thee therin for euer No Lord I will haue no other motiue to loue and looke after thee then thy selfe who art soueraignely amiable and desirable I will behold thee directly in thy selfe and applie my selfe entirely vnto thee because thou art my God and because ô my deare God thou art what thou art Thou art all my riches all my pretentions for that I know in seeing thee I shall see and possesse in thee all good things Thou thy selfe art the reward of euery good worke and he is vnworthy of all laurells who seekes for any other but thy selfe for thou art a far more ample recompeÌ„ce to those â—hat loue thee then man is able to conceaue It is to thee then alone ô Diuine Eternitie ô eternall Diuinitie that I consecrate all my desires all my thoughtes It is to thee ô eternall Beeing that I consecrate all my beeing in tyme and Eternitie It is to the Trinitie of thy Diuine Persons to whom I dedicate the three powres of my soule To the ADORATION of thy powrefull fecunditie I consecrate my MEMORIE ô eternall Father To thy WISDOME ô eternall Sonne begotten of the Father by his vnderstanding I dedicate my VNDERSTANDING To thee ô HOLY GHOST the reciprocall Loue of the Father and the Sonne proceeding from their one will I offer vp my will O Father of light grant me the LIGHT of thy Glorie that one day I may clearely see that which I now beleeue by the light of FAITH O eternall WORD bestow thy selfe vpoÌ„ me that I may possesse in Heauen that which I seeke by HOPE O Holy Ghost make me partaker of thyne infinite BEAVTIE to th' end I may one day enioy that which now I imbrace by CHARITIE Yes Lord I am wholy thyne be thou also wholy myne and receaue me according to thy word and let me not be confounded in my expectation Thou art myne Eternitie like as thou art my saluation and my hope Thou art the onely Eternitie which I pretend grant that I may prayse thee euerlastingly and according to thy word espouse my soule in a liuely Faith espouse it for euer For with all the sinceritie of heart and puritie of intention that I can possibly conceaue and speake I giue thee this assurance of my fidelitie by a solemne protestation in the words of the Diuine Psalmist No Lord I will nothing nether in HeaueÌ„ nor earth but thy selfe for thou art the God of my heart and the onely part which I pretend in the Eternitie of Eternities FINIS
reuelations represent vnto vs this heauenly Sion as a Citie all of gold and precious stones these being but shadowes of its true greatnes since the Heauens which we discouer with the Sunne and all the other starrs are but the pauement of the eternall firmament the inhabitants wherof treade vnder their feete the front of the brightest starrs All this vniuers the obiect and wonderment of the beholding eye and all this great world which hath so many louers and admirers is but a miserable stable full of dunge and durt in comparison of this seate of glorie of God's elect the God of the Elect. O great Apostle how good reason thou hadst in contemplation of this eternall Felicitie which consists in the sight of the true God and of that IESVS which he sent to esteeâ—â— all the rest durt and dung These visible heauens which in so high a strayne sing the glorie of their maker These nights and dayes which doe proclame his prayses through all the earth and so many wonderfull works which doe rayse our mynds by sense towards the greatnes of this Architect who sustaines this great bulke with three fingars are but the footstooles of the Throne of the eternall SalomoÌ„ and stayres onely by which we mount to his glorie If we should here giue bridle to our consideration and permit our mynd to walke through the multitude of different creatures which by their varietie doe so beautifie the face of the vniuers doe you not thinke Athanasia that it would be a course of too long a breath and such as was a subiect to so many the pens of antiquitie amongst others S. BASILS S. AMBROSES and ORIGENS in their Exam. and the Expounders of Genesis Let vs content our selues to draw from this spacious prospect this inference If the world a place of Nature be a Stage wherin is presented so many pleasant things how rauishing shall those beauties be which God shall manifest vnto his friends in the Mansion of his glorie the Paradice of his delightes If he permit the wicked his enemies such as offend him to inioy in this visible world so many delightes and pleasures what will he coÌ„municate to those whom he daignes to crowne with his heauenly and eternall fauours in the State of glorie A Stoicall Philosopher speaking of the felicitie of blessed soules according to the light of nature obscured with the shadowes of Paganisme could say that as much difference as there is betwixt the dungeon of a womans wombe and this great world so much is there betweene the wonders of this heaueÌ„ly beatitude of vertuous soules departed from their bodies and the greatest beauties which are seene in heauen and earth To what length are we to driue this dissimilitude we that are enlightened with the light of fayth and taught by so many faithfull promises as are contayned in the Scripture touching this blessed and vnconceauable Eternitie O Israel how goodly are thy tabernacles how delightfull thy Pauillions gardens watered with floods and fountaines are not so florishing nor are the vallies abounding with fruite so aboundant These are the words of a Prophete who yet doth but sparingly expresse the delightes of this happie Abode where the light is continuall and the dayes without nightes by reason of Gods presence who is wholy light and who doth not suffer those that doe follow and adore him to remayne in darknesse Wherevpon the spirits which doe serue before his Throne are called Angells of light It is a resplendant Residence not standing in need of those tortches the Sunne and Moone which are onely made to giue light to this low and elementarie world the heauenly Lambe being the Lampe which doth lighten the eternall Sion A Residence where the flowres doe continually accompaignie the fruites and where the extreamitie of heate and cold are banished to make place to an agreeable temperature and farr other then that earthly Paradice a garden of delight wherin were placed our first Parents created in originall Iustice A Residence in conclusion wholy constant and of an eternall durance From whence death is excluded and the qualities subiect to bring in alteration and change are banished and where all the inhabitants shall in some sort be made participant of the immutabilitie of God This stabilitie is in my opinion as it were the crowne of this faire place euen in that name farr differing froÌ„ the figure of this world which incessantly slides away not vnlike to ones shape in a mirrour which in an instant is both form'd and past according to S. IAMES O Citie of peace ô triumphant Hierusalem ô Court of the eternall Salomon when shall we come when shall we appeare before the face of this King of glorie when shall we be led into his Cellers when shall we passe through thy peaceable gates gates dearer to God then all the Tabernacles of IACOB O delightfull Abode ô wishfull Residence if euer I forgett thee let me not onely forget my right hand but euen my selfe for if I loose thee am I not eternally lost without all hope of redresse or mercy Of the essentiall happines of the blessed XLIII BVt you will aske me Athanasia what will be the highest point of the glorie of those that doe inhabite this place of delightes O my deare soule if neuer mortall ey saw what they see how doe you thinke I shall be able to expresse it with tongue or pen Is it in your opinion any thing which can fall within the compasse of a discours or can be put downe vpon paper Howbeit we will declare vnto you that which we haue discouered by the obscure light of faith rather in a glasse after a darke sort then openly face to face which is reserued for the next life as a reward for hauing beleeued it without seeing it It is therfore the constant doctrine of the Catholike Church that the essence of the eternall glorie doth consiste in the sight of the soueraigne well-beloued in the loue of the soueraigne well-beholden doe you vnderstand these few words well Athanasia which doe lay open vnto you all that you are to beleeue in this matter of the essentiall felicitie of the Blessed For leauing a part all the thornie disputes and contestations of the schoole vpon this point of the vision of the vnderstanding or of the fruition of the will the principall faculties of the soule wherin doth reside the happinesse of this supreme glorie whose obiect is God Omitting I say their debate who will place Beatitude in an act of the vnderstanding and theirs that will haue it to consist in an Act of the will we will follow the comon consent of Doctors and all the schooles who reiecting in this behalfe all partialitie haue now for a comon Maxime That it consistes in two actes of the vnderstanding and will grownding therin vpon the Scripture which now assignes the one now the other and somtymes both together As when we reade that eternall life is to know one onely God And againe
tyme to come if their be any tyme to come in the immoueable and euer-present state of Eternitie and if they consider the new discoueries of gusts and contentments which they shall continually make in the Abisse of this infinite Beautie and Goodnes of God haue they not a large feild of ioyfullnes and thankesgiueing I will omit the Sciences with which she is furnished by him who is called the God of Sciences and who teacheth men science and especially that Queene of Sciences DIVINITIE which consisteth in the Contemplation of God and which is the true knowledge of Saintes For I pray you what doe not they saith S. GREGORIE know who see him that knowes all The aduantages of the vnderstanding XLVI OVr manner of knowing and vnderstanding during this mortall life stands in need of the meditation of senses whence this Philosophicall Axiome nothing enters into the vnderstanding which past not first through the senses And verily that which comes to the knowledge of sense is but superficiall For example how doth our sight know but by a species or representation which the obiect of this sense sends out to our eye which the Maisters tearme species sensibilis and is the cause that we see and know by sight What soeuer enters into the knowledge of our vnderstanding by this gate is admitted in no other sort In like manner it is of other senses touching sensible and corporall things There are others more spirituall as the Notiōs or Principles of Artes and Sciences which our vnderstanding conceiues by speculation But how doth it conceaue them but by a subtile delicate and spirituall Image which is called Species intelligibilis And then by how many windings doth this species passe how many changes and alterations doth it endure by the Common sense the phantasie the vnderstanding styled actiue and then by the passiue before it put on the proper shape to become intellectuall Loe then how our naturall knowledge is formed by species and Images Yea euen the knowledge of Faith though supernaturall enters not into our soule but vnder some kind of composition some simple vniuersall and abstracte cloud which is Faith Hence it is that the Apostle speaking of that kind of knowledge by Faith compares it to an obscure sight and as it were to that of a glasse And who knowes not that we see but meerely in a glasse by meanes of the species which are formed in it a species which formes another in our eyes So our vnderstāding which is the ey of our soule doth not assēt to the truthes of Faith reuealed by God but by hearing them by the voice of the Church and her Pastures For Faith is by hearing or by reading them in the Creede and Canonicall bookes But it fares not so Athanasia with the knowledge of the vnderstanding in the blessed Eternitie For there it shall see God without species without representation The Deitie vniting ioyning and applying it selfe in such sort vnto it that that inward presence shall be in lieu of species O deare God! how neerely doth this vnion approach vnto vnitie and with what wonders is this application filled The verie proper essence of the Diuine Truth being receaued into the vnderstanding without all Image or species And then the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding shall conserue and possesse the heartes and vnderstandings that is to say the wills and vnderstandings of those happie soules O who is able to expresse the incomparable happines of those who without vayle without glasse without obscuritie shall see face to face being enlightened and freed from all dimnesse and confusion that glorious face which the Psalmist with such instance pursueth O what a glorie shall it be to behold without being oppresst with the greatnes of so high a Maiestie those adorable ineffable incomprehensible misteries of the most holy Trinitie what a gracious fauour shall it be openly to discouer the eternall generation of the WORD issuing out of the Fathers bosome a generation of which the Prophete pronounceth with admiration who is able to relate it what a communication shall it be to see the Diuine communications yea the communication of communications which is that of the eternally reciprocall loue and reciprocally infinite of the Father to the Sonne and the Sonne to the Father whence is produced as from one same Principle the Holy Ghost Because the Father and the Sonne hauing but one will which doth loue and one goodnes which is loued the fountaine of this production can be but one O misterie of misteries which it is better to admire then to deciphere and better to speake nothing of it then too litle I had rather in this place which is not alloted to thy explication imitate the Seraphins who doe vayle their eyes and feete and fold their winges and content my selfe in protesting my beleife and alleagance in these words of the wellbeloued disciple of IESVS CHRIST There are three who giue testimonie in heauen the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and those three are one I adore thee ô great God in the Trinitie of thy persons and in the vnitie of thy essence and I doe sinke and become nothing before thyne infinite greatnesse What ioy Athanasia hath this beatified vnderstanding to discouer this great misterie hidden frō the worlds creation to witt the Hypostaticall vnion of the eternall Word with the flesh which we call Incarnation What a number of secretes are conteyned in this great secrete what a number of wheeles are fastened in this one wheele that is what misteries doe depend of this misterie and what a fire amidst this wheele fire which our Sauiour brought into the world to the end it should burne all the hearts of the faithfull with his loue what delight shall it be to behold this Abisse of beauties and perfections which are in God by way of excellencie and infinitly aboue all that we are able to imagine in the Attributes which we frame of him In this heauenly vision as in the liuely fountaine of all light the shades of errours doubtes opinions and ignorances shall vanish which doe inuiron and incompasse vs in the almost palpable darknes of the Egipt of this life Faith it selfe which reuealed vnto vs so many meruelles of God and of his glorious Citie shall disappeare in this happie Abode where we shall see according as we shall haue heard and beleeued Nether shall Hope be any more because we shall enoye that which by Hope we expected Charitie alone shall neuer faile neuer shall any thing cause her holy flame to die out contrariwise in glorie she shall be accomplished and come to the hight of her perfection What a delightfull entertaynement shall it be for the vnderstanding to consider the windings of that wonderfull clocke of the Diuine Prouidence as well in the gouernement of the world in generall as of all the soules in particular and what thankesguings shall it render to the fatherly care of the Diuine Goodnes whilst it shall admire
we loue him not and complaynes that he is made a solitude in Israel and that he is not beloued and that the wayes of the eternall Sion weepe that none doe frequent their solemnities Let vs therfore goe with confidence to the Throne of his Grace if we desire to haue part in his Glorie Let vs permit him to wash the feete of our affections if we will with S. PETER haue Societie with him This God then who is an essentiall Charitie doth not onely permit vs to loue him but euen commands it and that vnder paine of death death euerlasting The first and greatest of his Commandements is all of the Loue we owe him This loue did once vnite the Diuine and humane nature in the Person of the WORD and did so farre exinanite the eternall Sonne of the eternall Father as to become man to take vpon him the forme of a seruant to appeare in earth and to be conuersant with men A loue which may well rayse man towards God since it could bring God downe to man A loue the band of perfection which vnites the equall and doth equalise such as it doth vnite A Loue which hauing once personally vnited as S. AVGVSTINE saith the light of the Diuinitie to the clay of our mortalitie is able to eleuate our desires euen vnto God and make vs participant of the Diuine nature which is done by Charitie infused into our hearts by the Holy Ghost It is this Diuine Loue which separating our affections not onely from dangerous and superfluous things but euen from things which are not euil yet are subiect to be loued with excesse and with too strong and inordinate a passion shall make vs behold all created things in God and will so gouerne our inclinatiōs that we shall affect no creature but in God for God and according to God wherin consisteth the perfect practise of that Diuine Cōmandement which commands vs to loue God with all our heart with all our soule with all our spirit with all our strength and euen aboue all things For a soule that is come to this degree of perfection that she loues nothing but in God and God in all things in proper speach loues not many things nor is not in the folicitude inseparable from the multiplicitie of louely obiects but she loues but one onely thing which is God the one true necessarie thing and out of whom all is but miserie and affliction of spirit And because in all that which the order of Charitie proposeth vnto her to be loued she loues God alone she loues him equally in all and as couragiously in her enemy as tēderly in her friend because she loues him onely out of all other things and without all other things but nothing at all without him or out of him If it be ESTHER alone that ASSVERVS loueth saith my blessed Father in his Theotime why should he loue her more when she is parfumed and adorned then when she is in her comon attire If it be our Sauiour onely that a soule loueth why should she not as well loue the Mount-Caluarie as Thabor sith he is as truly in the one as the other and why should she not pronounce as cordially in the one as in the other It is Good for vs to be here She can loue our Sauiour in Egipt without louing Egipt why then shall she not loue him in the banquet of SIMON the LEPROVS without louing the banquet And if she loue him amidst the blasphemies which are vomited out against him without louing the blasphemies why shall she not loue him parfumed with MAGDELAINES precious oyntments without louing the parfumes or smells It is a true signe that one loues God onely in all things when one loues him equally in all things since he being alwayes equall to himselfe the inequallitie of loue towards him must needs spring from some thing which is not he Whence the soule that loues God purely and singulary loues him no more with the whole vniuerse to boote then all alone without the vniuerse because all that which is out of God and is not God is as nothing to her O pure soule who loues not euen Paradice it selfe but because God is there loued and is so soueraignely loued in his Paradice as that if he had not a Paradice to bestow yet would he nether be lesse loulie or lesse beloued of this generous soule who knowes not how to loue the Paradice of her God but onely her God of Paradice and who puts no lesse rate vpon the Caluarie where her Sauiour was crucified then the Heauen where he is glorified O how well doth this saintly Bishope speake my Athanasia whose tearmes I durst not paraphrase nor disguise or change his venerable words least I might loose his deuoute sēse expressed in words of so great energie and so full of spirit and vertue that all the flanting tearmes of worldly wisdome seeme to me far lesse persuasiue powrefull How forcibly and sweetly doth he teach vs in this discourse not to looke vpon the two hands of God that of Iustice and vengance and that other of Mercy and reward but to search after his face alone and to feare and loue him for himselfe not for the punishments which he threatens vice nor for the reward which he proposeth to vertue because he is altogether to be honored worshiped and serued for the loue of him selfe yea although he had nether Paradice for reward nor yet Hell for Punishment The blessed and accursed Eternitie are onely to be considered as things accessorie Our prime intention and cheife attention are to be set vpon the Diuine Eternitie or the eternall Diuinitie vnlesse we would loose the title of the children of God and through feare of eternall punishments or desire of eternall rewards beesteemed slaues and hirelings Let 's loue God Athanasia and let him dispose of vs as he pleaseth Let vs be in his hands as clay in the hand of the Potter Let him make of vs vessells of honour or ignominie Be it nobly or ignobly so we be his it sufficeth Le ts turne our eyes from rewards or punishments and let vs fixe them vpon our Lord. Let vs behold his amiable face Let vs set our view vpon his hands but as a faithfull hand-maide vpon those of her Mistrisse Let vs receaue indifferently that which comes from the right hād of prosperitie and the left of aduersitie Although he should euen kill vs le ts hope in him And let vs hope without hope yea euen against all apparence that nothing shall separate vs from his Charitie Let vs cast all our thoughtes vpon him And in steed of staying our thoughtes vpon the created and as it were the accidentall Eternitie of Heauen or Hell let vs onely be fastened vpon the essentiall Eternitie which is God himselfe who hath in his hand the extreamities of the earth And who keepes the keyes of eternall life and death Let vs not so dwell vpon the thought of Heauen or