and pressing things to an Vnitie S. GREGORIE of NAZIANZEN and S. AVGVSTINE saieth that their friends and they had but one soule and ARISTOTLE approuing euen in his time this manner of speach when saieth he we would expresse how much we loue our friends we saie his and my soule is but one Hatred doth separate vs and Loue doth assemble vs. The end then of loue is no other thing then the vnion of the louer and the beloued That the vnion which loue pretends is spirituall CHATPER X. 1. VVE are neuerthelesse to vnderstand that there are naturall Vnions as those of Similitude Consanguinitie and the Cause with the effect and others which not being naturall may be termed voluntarie for though they be according to nature yet are they not made but by our will as those which rise from benefits and doe vndoubtedly vnite him that receiues them to the giuer those of Companie Conuersation and the like Now Naturall vnion produceth Loue and that Loue being produced inclines vs to another Voluntarie vnion perfecting the naturall so the Father and the Sonne the Mother and Daughter or two Brothers being ioyned in an Naturall vnion by the participation of the same blood are excited by this Vnion to Loue and by that Loue are carried to the Vnion of the will and the minde which may be called Voluntarie because allbeit her foundation is naturall yet is her action deliberate and in these Loues produced by Naturall vnion we must looke for no other correspondence then Vnion it selfe by which nature preuenting the will doth oblige her to approoue loue and perfect the Vnion which she hath already made But for Voluntarie vnions they being after Loue in Effect yet are his Cause as being his onely end and pretention so that as Loue tends to Vnion so Vnion againe doth extend and augment Loue for Loue begets a desire of conuersation and conuersatiō doth nourish and encrease Loue Loue causeth a desire of nuptiall vnion and this Vnion doth reciprocally conserue and dilate Loue so that in euery sense it is true that loue tends to vnion 2. But to what kind of Vnion doth it tend Did you not note THEOTIME that the sacred Spouse did expresse her desire of being vnited to her Spouse by a kisse and that a kisse doth represent the spirituall vnion which is caused by the reciprocall communication of hearts true it is that man loueth but by his will and therefore the end of his Loue is of the nature of his will but his will is spirituall and consequently the vnion which Loue pretends is also spirituall and so much the rather for that the heart seate and source of Loue should not onely not be perfected by vnion with corporall things but euen become more vile 3. It will not hence be inferred that there are not certaine passions in man which as Gumme or Missel to vpon trees by manner of excrement and ouergroth sproute vp amongst and about Loue which notwithstanding are neither Loue nor any part therof but excrements and superfluities of the same which are so farre from an aptitude to maintaine or accomplish Loue that it doth endamage and weaken it and in time if they be not weeded away doe vtterly ruinate it See the reason hereof 4. According to the multitude of operatiōs be they of the same or of a diuerse Nature to which the soule doth applie her selfe she performs them lesse perfectly and vigorously because she being finite her actiue vertue is also finite so that furnishing her actiuitie to diuerse operations it is necessarie that each one of thē haue lesse therof so that one attētiue to diuerse things is lesse intēce in euery of them It is not possible that one should at the same time exactly discerne the feature of the face by the eyes and by the eare distinguish the harmonie of an excellent musique nor at the same instant be attentiue to figure and colour If our affection be to talke our attention is for no other thing 5. Yet am I not ignorant what is saied of CESAR nor incredulous of that which so many great personages assures vs of ORIGIN that they could apply their attentions at the same time to diuerse obiects Yet euery one doth confesse that according to the measure in which they were applyed to many they were lesse in euery one of the same there is then a difference betwixt to see heare and vnderstand much and to see heare and vnderstand better For he that seeth better seeth lesse and he that seeth more seeth not so well t' is rare that he who knowes much knowes that well which he knoweth because the vertue and force of the vnderstanding being scatered vpon the knowledge of diuerse things is lesse stronge and vigourous then when it is restrained to the consideration of one onely obiect Hence it is that when the soule imploies her forces in diuerse operations of Loue The actiō so diuided is lesse vigorous We haue three sorts of actions of Loue the spirituall reasonable and Sensitiue when Loue lets runne his forces through all these three operations doubtlesse it is more Extense but lesse Intense but when it runnes through one operation onely it is more Intense though lesse Extense Doe we not see that fire the Symbole of loue forced to make way by the onely mouth of the Cannon makes a prodigious flashe which had bene much lesse if it had found vent by two or three passages sythence then that Loue is an acte of our will he that desires to haue it not onely noble and generous but also very vigorous and actiue must containe the vertue and force of it within the limits of spirituall operations for he that would applie it to the Sensitiue operatiōs of the soule should so farre fourth weaken the Intellectuall in which essentiall loue consisteth 6. The auncient PHILOSOPHERS attained to the knowledge of two Extases the one wherof did place our selues aboue our selues the other deiected vs and set vs below our selues as though they would haue saied that man was of a Nature betwixt Angels and Beasts in his intellectuall part participating the Angelicall Nature and in his sensitiue the Nature of Beasts and yet that he could by good moderation of life and a continuall care had of himselfe deliuer and infrancise himselfe of this meane condition so that applying and exercising himselfe frequently in Intellectuall actions he might bring himselfe nearer to the nature of Angels then Beasts but if he did much applie himselfe to Sensible actions he made a discent from his midle condition to that of beasts And because an Extasie is no other thing then a going out of ones selfe whether one goe vpwards or downewards he is truely in an Extasie Those then that touched with intellectuall and diuine pleasures doe permit their heart to be rauished with those touches are truly out of them selues that is aboue the condition of their Nature but by a blessed and wishfull departure by which entering
of Angels For while this Loue liues it raignes and bears the Scepter ouer all the affections making his will preferre God before all things indifferently vniuersally and absolutely Of two degrees of perfection in which this Commandement may be kept in this mortall life CHAPTER IV. 1. VVHile the great king Salomon enioying as yet the Spirit of God cōposed the sacred Canticle of Canticles he had according to the permission of those ages great varietie of dames and damsells dedicated to his Loue in diuers conditions and qualities For 1. there was one that was his singularly deare and wholy perfect one most rare as a singular doue with which the others entred not into comparison and for this reason she was called by his owne name SVNAMITE 2. There were sixtie which next to her had the first ranke of honour and estimation and were called Queenes Besids which there were thirdly Fourescore Dames which were not indeede Queenes yet were companions of his Royall bed in qualitie of honorable and lawfull friends 4. and lastly there were young damsells without number reserued in expectation as a seedeplat to succeede in the places of the former when they should fall into decaye Now by the IDEA of that which passed in his Palace he described the diuers perfections of soules who in time to come were to adore Loue and serue the great PACIFICALL KING IESVS CHRIST our Sauiour amongst which there are some who being newly freed from sinne and resolued to Loue God are yet Nouices Apprentises tender and feeble So that they Loue indeede the Diuine sweetenesse yet with such mixture of other different affections that their sacred Loue being as yet in its Nonage they Loue together with our Sauiour many superfluous vaine and dangerous things And as a PHENIX newly hatch't out of her sinders hauing as yet her plumes tender and nice and hauing on her first downes can onely essay a short flight in which she is rather saied to hop then to flie so these tēder and daintie young soules newly borne of the ashes of their Penance cannot as yet take a high flight and sore a aboue in the aire of holy loue beīg held captiues by the multitude of wicked inclinations and depraued customes in which the sinnes of their life past had left them They are yet liuing quickned and feathered with Loue yea and with true Loue too else had they neuer forsakē sinne yet with a Loue as yet feeble young and enuironed with a number of other Loues and which cannot produce fruite in such abundance as otherwise it would doe if it had the full possession of the heart in its hands 2. Such was the Prodigall Sonne when quitting the infamous cāpanie and custodie of swine amongst which he had liued he returned into his fathers armes halfe naked all to be dabed durted and stinking of the filth which he had contracted in the companie of those vncleane beasts For what is it to forsake the swine but to reclame ones selfe from sinne and what is it to returne all ragged tattered and stinking but to haue our affections engaged in the habits and inclinations which tend to sinne yet was he possessed of the life of the soule which is Loue. And as a Phenix rising out of her ashes he finds himselfe newly risen to life He was dead quoth his Father and is returned to life he is reuiued Now Salomons Friends were called young daughters in the Canticles for as much as hauīg tasted the odour of the Spouse his name which breathes nothing but Saluation and Mercy they Loue him with a true Loue but a Loue which is as themselues in its tender age for euen as young girles doe Loue their husbands well if they haue them yet leaue not off much to affect their toyes triffles ād companions with whom they were wont desperatly to loose themselues in playing dancing and fooling in busying themselues with little birds little dogges squirills and the like bables So the yoūg and Nouice-soules haue truely an affection to the sacred Spouse yet admit they with it a number of voluntarie distractions and incumbrances so that louing him aboue all things they doe yet busie themselues in many things which they Loue not like him but besids him out of him and without him for as small irregularities in words in gestures in clothes in pastimes and fond trickes are not properly speaking against the will of God so are they not according to it but out of it and without it 3. But there are certaine soules who hauing alreadie made some progresse in the Loue of God haue also cut off the affections they had to dangerous things and yet doe entertaine dangerous and supersluous Loues because they Loue with excesse and Loue that which God ordaines they should Loue with a Loue too nice and passionate It stood with Gods pleasure that ADAM should loue EVE tenderly yet not in that degree of tendernesse that to content her he should haue violated the order giuen him by his Diuine Maiestie He loued not then a superfluous thing nor a thing in it selfe dangerous but he loued it superfluously and dangerously The loue of our Parents friends and Benefactours is in it selfe according to GOD yet we may affect it with excesse as we may also our vocations be they neuer so spirituall and our exercises of deuotion which yet we ought so greately to affect may beloued inordinatly to wit if we preferre them before obedience or a more generall good or in case we loue them in qualitie of LAST END being the onely meanes and furtherances to our finall pretention which is DIVINE LOVE And those soules which Loue nothing but that which God would haue them to Loue and yet doe exceede in the manner of louing doe truly Loue the Diuine Goodnesse aboue all things yet not in all things for the things which not onely by permission but euen by command they are to Loue according to God they doe not onely Loue according to God but for other causes and motiues which though indeede they be not contrarie to God yet are they out of him so that they resemble the Phenix who hauning gotten her first feathers and beginning to waxe strong doth forthwith hoist her selfe vp into the open aire yet is not long able to continew flight but is forced to light often vpon the ground to take breath Such was the poore young man who hauing from his tender age obserued Gods Commandements desired not his neighbours goods yet affected his owne too tenderly So that when our Sauiour gaue him Counsell to giue them to the poore he became sad and melancholie He loued nothing but that which he might lawfully loue but he loued it with a superfluous and too obliging an affection It is plaine therefore THEO that these soules loue too ardently and with superfluitie yet loue they not the superfluities but onely the thing which is to be loued And herevpō they doe enioye the marriage bed of the heauenly Salomō
A TREATISE OF THE LOVE OF GOD. Written in french by B. FRANCIS DE SALES Bishope and Prince of Geneua Translated into English by MILES CAR Priest of the English Colledge of Doway THE EIGHTEENTH EDITION Printed at Doway By GERARD PINCHON at the signe of Coleyn 1630. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND VERTVOVS LADIE THE LADIE ELISABETH DORMER MADAME NO sooner had this Diuine Booke of DIVINE LOVE happened into my hands but it seemed as well by the circumstances of the AVTHOVR whether we respect his Extraction as being descended from one of the most Illustrious Houses of Sauoye his Function as being Bishope and Prince of Geneua the TITLE and CONTENTES of his VVorke alreadie honored by the eighteenth Edition or my OBLIGATION as well in my selfe as in those of whom I glorie to haue so happie a dependance to be determined to your HONOR as neerely symbolising and due to your VERTVS and HONOR'S worth and as hauing had the weakâ— colours in which it now appeares from my nâ—â—ilfull Pensill to flie to your HONOR' 's pâ—werfull Protection For wâ—itâ—er indâ—â—de could so Pious Worthy and Noble an AVTHOVR be better addreâ—'t then to Pietie Worth and Nobilitie where Pietie beares so absolute aswaye in a Noble breast that Worth and Nobilitie would be reputed ignoble and worthlesse if they bore not a Testimonie about them that they had passed by VERTVES TEMPLE where either from other is so richly embellished and receiue so mutually each others qualities that Vertue would be taken for Nobilitie and Worth or Nobilitie and Worth for Vertue if both were not seene to conspire to make vp one PEERELESSE PEECE Where could DIVINE LOVE be prouided of a fitter Mansion then a heauenly Heart Where effectes out-speake Fame where Charitie out-strips pouerties expectation Riches are possess'd and despised where a noble saying of Saint Hierom's S. Hier. ad Demetr ep 8. properly sutes It is proper to your Stock at once to haue and contemne riches Witnesse your honorable and pious Father the LORD VICE-COVNT MONTAGVE who made them in all occurrences stoope to vertu's Lore Witnesse your equally honorable and pious mother whose bountifull and frequent workes of Charitie being theÌ„ widowe strooke euen heritikes with astonishment Witnesse a later branch of the same stocke your honorable Nephew the LORD VICE-COVNT MOVNTAGVE of freshe and Blessed memorie whose matchlesse Zeale in God's cause which all the world speakes of with admiration and which as it may seeme by God's speciall Prouidence he came to write in our heart 's some few weekes before he went to receiue the reward of it doth easily draw me to instance in him What did not he bountifully emploie in the assistance of God's seruants what did not he piously spend in the riches and glorie of God's house what did not he Catholikly repute as nothing that he might gaine Christ and to descend yet further is not the same Bountie Pietie and Religion and for them a contempt of all brought downe as it vvere by right line and translated together vvith his Dominions to the Honorable now LORD VICE-COVNT MOVNTAGVE who actually possesseth his Countrie of the happinesse he long promised Finally is not the same plainely seene in your Honor 's owne honoured and happie progenie It vvere to long MADAME to mention all in your line Aug. de diligendo Deo cap. 4. to vvhom Saint Augustines pitthie and heauenly Contemplation might seeme to be addressed Loue Riches but as thy subiect 's but as thy slaues but as pledges from a Spouse as Presents from a friend as benefits froÌ„ a Maister where Loue and eueÌ„ that Loue which casteth-out Feare might seeme to be possessed by Right of blood so doth your HONOR giue to the life your renovvned Fathers vndaunted Zeale together vvith your Noble Mothers incomparable Pietie and yet be found to be held by Right of Conquest so frequent and fortunate are your VERTV'S essayes and performances Performances vvhich send euen avvay strangers hearts taken vvith admiring Loue and teach Forrainers to speake and vse your HONOR'S name in termes of respect and honour For the rest touching our generall OBLIGATION vvherein my Pen vvas prouided most to haue laboured for reasons as I hope neither vnknovven nor vnapproued to your HONOR vnvvillingly vvill I passe ouer in silence Yet vvith this assurance that vvhat in vvords is here omitted our hearts vvherein your HONOR'S CHARITIE hath engrauen her Memore deeper then that the iniquitie of times can raise it out shall speake to the Tribunall vvhere the heart's language is onely agreeable Meane vvhile MADAME licence my pen to put dovvne that vvhich many vvish vvith one consent of hearts and voices That as his pen that did not studie your Honorable Fathers aduantages Camb. in Elis pag. 26. 51. left for after ages to blesse and adore his noble Memorie marked vvith these better markes of Nobilitie KNOVVEN PRVDENCE VNDAVNTED CONSTANCIE CATHOLIKE ZEALE So this my first essâ—y may be the Pyramides wherin in his and your's may ioyntly liue for euer and vvherin eu n little ones may reade that DIVINE LOVE could not on earth find a fitter TABERNACLE nor a more nobly pious PATRONESSE For vvhose prosperitie MADAME YOVR HONOR' 's Humblest seruant will not cease to praie MILES CAR. THE AVTHOVRS DEDICATORIE PRAYER THRICE holy mother of God Vessell of incomparable election Queene of Soueraigne dilection thou art the most louelie the most louing and most beloued of all creatures The loue of the heauenly father pleased himselfe in thee from all eternitie alloting thy chaste heart to the perfection of holy loue to th' end that one day thou mightest loue his onely sonne with an onely Motherly loue as he had done froÌ„ all eternitie with a fatherly loue ô Sauiour IESVS to whom could I better dedicate a speach of thy Loue then to a heart best beloued of the well-beloued of thy heart But ô all triumphant mother who can cast his eyes vpon thy Maiestie without seeing him at thy right hand whom for the loue of thee thy Sonne deigned so often to honour with the title of Father hauing vnited him vnto thee by the celestiall band of a virginall marriage to th' end that he might be thy Coadiutour and Helper in the charge of the direction and education of thy Diuine Infancie ô great S. IOSEPH most beloued Spouse of the well-beloued mother Ah how ofteÌ„ hast thou borne betwixt thy armes the loue of heauen and earth till burnt with the sweete embracements and kisses of this Diuine child thy soule melted away with ioye while he tenderly whispered in thy eares o God what content that thou was his deare friend and deare y beloued â—eare Father It was the custome of old to place the lampes of the auncieÌ„t TeÌ„ple vpon flowres of golden Lylies O MARIE and IOSEPH Paire without compare sacred Lilies of incoÌ„parable beautie amongst which the well-beloued feedes himselfe and his Louers Alas if I might giue my selfe any hope that this Loue-leâ—ter
two proofes by two reprochlesse witnesses that STOIKES were touched with Feare and with Feare which doth leaue it's effects in the Eyes Face and Countenance and is consequently a Passion 5. Ah greate follie to wish to be wise by a wisdome which is not possible Truely the Church hath cōdemned the Follie of this wisdome which certaine presumptuous ANCORITS would haue long agoe introduced against which the whole Scripture but especially the great APOSTLE crieth out That we haue a law in our bodie which resisteth the law of our mind Amongst vs Christians saieth that great S. AVGVSTINE according to holy Scripture and Sound doctrine the Citizens of the sacred Citie of God whose liues are agreeable to Gods owne heart in the pilgrimage of this world doe Feare Desire Greeue Reioice Yea euen the soueraigne King of this Citie did Feare Desire Greeue Reioice euen to teares palenesse trembling sweating of blood though in him these were not the motions of Passions like to ours whence the great S. HIEROME and after him the Schoole durst not there vsurpe the name Passions for reuerence of the person in whome they were but the respectfull name PRO-PASSIONS to testifie that sensible motions in our Sauiour held the place of Passions though they were not such indeede seeing that he suffered or sustained nothing by them saue that which was thought good to him and in manner which liked him best gouerning and guiding them at his pleasure which we sinners cannot doe who suffer and endure these Motions with disorder against our wills to the great preiudice of the good estate and pollicie of our soule That loue rules ouer all the affections and passions yea gouerns the will albeit the will hath also a dominion ouer it CHAPTER IIII. 1. LOue being the first complacence which we take in good as we will presently shew certes it preceedes desire and in deede what other thing is it which we Desire but that which we Loue It forerunes Delectation for how could we reioice in the fruition of a thing if we loued it not it goes before Hope for we hope for nothing but the Good which we loue it preuents Hatred for we hate not euill but in respect of the good which we loue nor is euill euill but because it is contrarie to good And THEOTIME it is the like touching all other passions and affections for they doe all flow from loue as from their source and roote 2. For which cause the other passions and affections are good vitious or vertuous according as the Loue whence they proceede is good or bad For Loue doth so bedewe them with her owne qualities that they seeme to be no other then very Loue it selfe S. AVGVSTINE reducing all these passions to foure as did also BOETIVS CICERO VIRGIL with the greatest part of the Auncients Loue saieth he tending to the possession of that he loues is termed Concupiscence or Desire hauing and possessing it t' is called Ioie flying that which is contrarie to him is named Feare but if Loue perceiue it arriued he puts on the name of Griefe and consequently these passiōs are Euill if the Loue be Euill Good if it be Good The Citizēs of the heauēlie Citie doe Feare Desire Greeue Ioie and because their loue is iust all their affections are also iust Christian doctrine doth subiect the Reason to God to th' end he should guide and succour it and to the Reason all the passiōs that it may bridle and moderate them so that they might be conuerted to the seruice of iustice and vertue The rectified will is the good loue the disordred will is the euill loue That is to saie in a word THEOTIME Loue hath such dominion ouer the will that he makes her iust such as he is 3. The wife doth ordinarily change her condition into that of her Husband becoming noble if he be noble Queene if he be King Dutches if he be Ducke The will doth also change her condition into that of Loue which she espouseth if he be carnall she becomes carnall if spirituall she turnes spirituall and all the affections Desire Ioie Hope Feare Griefe as issues of the mariage betwixt Loue and the will doe consequently receiue their qualities frō Loue to be short THEOTIME the will is not moued but by her affections amongst which Loue as the PRIMVM MOBILE and prime affection giues motion to all the rest and causeth all the other motions of the soule 4. Nor doth it follow hence that the will doth not also rule ouer Loue seeing that the will doth not Loue but in willing to Loue and that of the diuersitie of Loues which present them selues she can apply her selfe to which she list otherwise Loue would neither be prohibited nor commanded She is then Mistresse ouer Loues as a Dāfelle ouer her Suters amongst which she may make election of whom she pleaseth But as after the mariage she looseth her libertie and of Mistresse becomes subiect to her Husbands power remaining taken by him whom she tooke so the will which at her owne pleasure made election of Loue after she hath embraced any one she remaine subiect to him And as the wife is still subiect to the Husband which she hath chosen so long as he shall liue doth after her Husbands death regaine her precedent libertie to marrie an other so while one Loue liues in the will it reignes there and the will is subiect to his motions but if this Loue come to die she can afterwards take an other And againe there is a libertie in the will which a wife hath not and it is that the will can reiect her Loue at her pleasure by applying her vnderstanding to motiues which makes it disgustfull and by vndertaking to chainge the obiect For in this manner to make the diuine Loue liue and reigne in vs we ought to mortifie Proper Loue if we cannot altogether annihilate it at least we must weaken it in such sort that though it liue yet it doe not reigne in vs. As contrariwise in forsaking Diuine Loue we may adheare to that of creaturs which is that infamous adulterie wherewith the Diuine Loue doth so often reproch sinners Of the affections of the will CHAPTER V. 1. THere is no lesse motion in the Intellectuall or Reasonable appetite which is called the will then there is in the Sensitiue or Sensuall but those are customarily named Affections these Passions The Philosophers and Pagans did in some sort loue God their Common wealth Vertue Sciences they hated Vice aspired after Honours expected not to escape Death or Calumnie were desirous of knowledge yea euen of Beatitude after Death They did encourage them selues to surmount the difficulties which did crosse the way of Vertue dreaded Blame fled diuers Faultes reuenged publicke Iniuries disdained Tyrants without any proper interest Now all these Motions were seated in the Reasonable part syth that neither the Senses nor consequently the Sensuall appetits are capable of application to these obiects and therefore
her Manna of delight but Charitie doth conduct vs thither as an Arke of Alliance making way through Iordain that is to Iudgment and shall remaine amidst the people in the heauenlie Land promissed to the true ISRAELITS where neither the Pillar of Faith doth serue as guide nor the MANNA of Hope is vsefull for foode 5. Diuine Loue doth make his abode in the most high and eminent region of the Soule where he doth offer Sacrifice and Holocausts to the Diuinitie as ABRAHAM did and as our Sauiour sacrificed himselfe vpon the tope of CALVARIE to th' end that from so eminent a place he might be heard and obayed of his people that is of all the Faculties and Affections of the Soule which he gouernes with an incomparable sweetnesse For Loue hath none pressed or flaues but brings all things vnder his power with a force so delightfull that as nothing is so forcible as Loue so nothing is so amiable as his Force 6. Vertues are seated in the soule to moderate her motions and Charitie as prime of all the Vertues gouerns ad tempers them all not onely because the first in euery Species of things is as a rule and measure to the rest but also for that God hauing created man to his similitude and liknesse will that as in himselfe so in man all things be ordered for and by Loue. A description of Loue in generall CHAPTER VII 1. THe wil hath so great a sympathie with Good that as soone as she perceiues it she turnes towards it to please her selfe therin as in her desired obiect to which she hath so neerely allyed her selfe that one cannot euen declare her Nature but by the reference she hath to it like as one cannot shew the nature of Good otherwise then by the Affinitie it hath with the will For tell me THEOTIME what other thing is Good then that which euery one doth will And what is the will if not the facultie which beares vs forward and makes vs tend to Good or that which the will esteemes such 2. The will then perceiuing and feeling Good by the help of the Vnderstanding proposing it feeles at the same time a suddaine delight and complacence vpon it which doth sweetly yet powerfully moue and incline her towards this amiable obiect with intention to be vnited thervnto and moues her to search the meanes most proper to attaine this Vnion 3. The will then hath a strict affinitie with Good this affinitie doth produce the complacence which the will doth taste in feeling and perceiuing Good this complacence doth moue and prick forward the will to Good this motion tends to Vnion and and in fine the will put in motion and tending to Good doth search all meanes requisite to atchiue it 4. And truely generally speaking Loue compriseth all this together as a faire Tree whose Roote is the Sympathie which the will hath to Good the Bole is the Complacence her Motion the tope the INQVESTS PVRSVITS and other Endeauours are her Branches but Vnion and Fruition are her Fruits So loue seemes to be composed of these fiue principale parts vnder which a number of other little peeces are contained as we shall find in the processe of this worke 5. Let 's consider I praye you the exercise of an insensible Loue betwixt the ADAMANT and IRON being a true representation of sensible and voluntarie Loue of which we speake IRON then hath such a Sympathie with the ADAMANT that as soone as it is touched with the vertue therof it turnes towards it this done sodainely it begins to stirre and quiuer with a little hopping testifying in that the Complacence it takes and thervpon it doth aduance and beare it selfe towards the ADAMANT striuing by all meanes possible to be vnited vnto it And doe you not see all the parts of a liuely Loue represented in this lifelesse stone 6. But to conclud THEOTIME the Complacence and Motion or Effusion of the will vpon the thing beloued is properly speaking Loue yet so as that the Complacence is but the beginning of Loue and the Motion or Effusion of the heart which ensues is the true essentiall Loue so that th' one and th' other may truly be named Loue but in a diuerse manner for as the breake of day may be termed day so this first Complacence of the heart in the thing beloued may be called Loue because it is the first impression of loue But as the true Heart of the day begins onely from day-breake to the sonne setting so the true essence of Loue doth consiste in the motion and current of the heart flowing immediately from Complacence and ending it's course in Vnion To be short Complacence is the first stirring or motion which Good causeth in the will and this motion is followed by a liquefaction or effusion wherby the soule doth runne and approache towards the thing beloued which is the true and proper Loue. Let 's saie thus Good doth touch sease vpon and engaige the heart by Complacence but by Loue it doth draw conduct and conueigh it to it selfe by Complacence it makes the heart vndertake the iourney but by Loue doth accomplish it Complacence is the awaker of the heart but Loue the operation Complacence giues the Alarum but Loue causeth the March The heart displayes his winges by Complacēce but Loue is it's Flight Loue then to speake distinctly and precisely is no other thing then the motion course and aduancement of the heart towards the thing beloued 7. Many great personages haue bene of opiniō that Loue was no other thing then Complacence it selfe in which they followed a faire semblance of reason For not onely the motion of Loue takes her origine from the Complacence which the heart feeles at the first approach of Good and ends in a second Complacence begotten in the heart by Vnion with the beloued but further it keeps companie with that Complacence not being able to subsist without her who is his Mother and Nource so that as soone as the Complacence ceaseth Loue ceaseth And as the Bee is bred in the honie feed of honie flyeth not abrode but for honie so Loue is borne of Complacence maintained by Complacence and tends to Complacence The poyse of things doth sway moue and staie them t' is the waight of the stone that doth stirre and moue it to discent it is the same waight that makes it continew motion after the externall impression be ended and finally it is the same waight that makes it stop and staie as soone as it hath attained it's Center such is the nature of the Complacence which moues the will she it is that moues and she that makes the will repose in the Vnion of the thing beloued This motion of Loue then hauing her birth conseruation and perfection dependantly of Complacence and being alwayes inseparably adioyned vnto her it is no maruell that these braue wits esteemed Loue and Complacence the same thing though indeede Loue being a true Passion of the mind
exercised the Inferiour part and testified that according to it and it's codsiderations his will declined the griefes and paines He shewed afterwards that he had a superiour part by which inuiolably adhering to the Eternall will and Decree made by his heauenlie Father he willingly accepted death and notwithstanding the Inferiour part of reason he saieth ah no Lord not my will but thyne be done when he saieth My will he takes it according to the Inferiour portion and in as much as he saieth it voluntarily he shewes in himselfe a Superiour will That in these 2. portions of the soule there are found 4. different degrees of reason CHAPTER XII 1. THere were three Portalls in SALOMONS Temple one for Gentils and strangers who hauing recourse to God came to adore in Hierusalem the second for the Israelits men and women the separation of men from women not being made by SALOMON the third for Priests and Leuits and then there was the Sanctuarie or sacred house the which was open to the Higâ— Priest onely and that but once a yeare Our Râ—â—son or rather our soule as she is reasonable is the true Temple of the Almightie who there takes vp his chiefe residence I sought thee Saieth S. AVGVSTINE without my selfe but found thee not because thou wast with in me In this mysticall Temple there are also three partitions which are Three different degrees of reason In the first we discourse according to the experience of Sense in the second according to Humane Sciences in the third according to faith but beyond all this we discouer a certaine Hight or highest point of reason and the spirituall facultie which is not guided by the light of discourse or reason but by a simple view of the vnderstanding and a simple touch of the will by which the soule yeelds and submits her selfe to Veritie and the will of God 2. Now this extremitie and Climate of our soule this highest point of our spirit is naturally well represented by the Sanctuarie or Holy place For first in the Sanctuarie there were no windowes to giue light In this degree of the soule there is no discourse which doth illuminate Secondly in the Sanctuarie all the light entred by the Port in this degree of the soule nothing enters but by faith which produceth in manner of rayes the view and gust of the beautie and bountie of the good pleasure of God Thirdly none entred into the Sanctuarie saue the high Priest In this point of the soule discourse approacheth not but onely the high vniuersall and soueraigne feeling that the diuine will ought soueraignely to be embraced loued and approued not onely in some particular things but generally in all things nor generally in all things onely but also particularly in each thing Fouerthly the High Priest entring into the Sanctuarie obscured euen that light which came by the Port and the abundance of perfumes from his Thurible repulsed the rayes of light which by the Port sought passage and all the light which is in the supreame part of the soule is in some sort obscured and vealed by the renunciations and resignations which the soule makes not desiring so much to behould and see the Beautie of the Truth and the Truth of the Bountie presented vnto her as to embrace and adore the same in suchwise that the soule would almost shut her eyes as soone as she begins to see the dignitie of Gods will to th' end that not being further occupied in that consideration she might more powerfully and perfectly receiue it and by an absolute complacence infinitly vnite and submit her selfe thervnto Fiftly to conclude in the Sanctuarie was kept the Arke of the Alliance and in that or ioyning to it the Tables of the Lawe MANNA in a golden vessell AARONS rod which in a night bore flowers and fruite and in this highest point of the soule first of all the light of faith figured by the MANNA enclosed in the pot whereby we quietly beleeue the truth of mysteries which our vnderstanding can not attaine to secondly the profit of hope represented by Aarons florishing and fruitfull rod by which we confidently expect our promised happinesse which we see not Thirdly the sweetnesse of holy charitie represented by Gods commandements which she containes wherby we repose in the vnion of our spirit with God's which we scarcely perceiue 3. And although Faith Hope and Charitie doe disperce their diuine motions into almost all the faculties of the soule as well reasonable as sensitiue reducing and holily subiecting them to their iust authoritie yet their speciall residence their true and naturall Mannor is this supreame region of the soule from whence as from a happie source of liue water it brancheth it selfe out by diuerse Conduits and Brookes vpon the inferiour partes and faculties 4. So that THEOTIME in the superiour part of reason there are Two degrees of reason in the one those discourses are made which depend of faith and supernaturall light in the other the simple repose of faith hope and charitie SAINT PAVLES soule found here selfe pressed with two diuerse desires the one to be deliuered from his bodie to flie vp streight to IESVS CHRIST the other to remaine in this would to labour in the conuersion of soules both these desires were without doubt in the Superiour part for they proceeded both from Charitie but his resolution of the later proceeded not from discourse but from a simple light and liking he had of his maisters will towards which the very point of the spirit of this great seruant turned to the preiudice of all that Discourse might conclude 5. But if Faith Hope and Charitie be formed by this holy Rest in the point of the spirit how comes it to passe that in the Inferiour part discourse is made depending of the light of Faith As we see Aduocats in many words pleade the facts and rights of parties at the Barre the Parliament or Senate from aboue resolues all the strife by a positiue sentence which being pronounced the Aduocats and Auditours rest not for all that to discourse amongst them selues of the Parliaments motiues ther vnto Euen so THEOTIME after discourse and aboue all that the grace of God haue persuaded the point and highest part of the spirit to beleeue and forme an Act of faith by manner of sentence the vnderstanding doth not leaue to discourse againe vpon that same Act of faith already conceiued to consider the motiues and reasons therof yet so as Theologicall Discourses passe in the lower Benches and Barre of the Superiour portion of the soule but the Arrests aboue in the Tribunall of the point of the spirit And because the knowledge of these 4. degrees of the reason is much conducing to the vnderstanding of all the treatises of spirituall things I haue enlarged my selfe in the explication therof The difference of loues CHAPTER XIII 1. LOue is deuided into two species wherof the one is called Loue of beneuolence or good will th' other Loue
of cōcupiscence Loue of concupiscence is that by which we loue things with pretention of profit Loue of beneuolence that by which we loue a thing for it's owne profit For what other thing is it to loue one with the loue of beneuolence or good will then to will him good 2. If he to whom we will good haue already obtained and possest it then we wish it him by the pleasure and contentment which we haue to see him possessed of it and hence springs Loue of complacence which is onely an act of the will by which it is ioyned and vnited to the pleasure content and good of an other But in case he to whom we wish good haue not yet obtained it we desire it him and thence that loue is termed Loue of desire 3. When Loue of beneuolence is exercised without correspōdance of the beloued it is called Loue of simple beneuolence but when it is practised with mutuall correspondance it is called loue of friendship Now Mutuall correspondence consisteth of three things to wit a mutuall loue a mutuall knowledge of the same conuersation and priuate familiaritie 4. If we loue our friend without preferring him before others t' is Simple familiaritie if with preference then this familiaritie turnes to be Dilection or as one would saie A loue by election as making choice of this from amongst many things we loue and preferring it 5. Againe when by this Dilection we doe not much preferre one friend before others t' is called Simple dilection but if contrariwise we much more esteeme and greatly preferre one before another of the same ranck then this friendship is called Dilection by excellencie 6. But if the esteeme and preference of our friend though great and without equall doe yet enter into comparison and proportion with others the friendship shall be called Eminent dilection but if the eminencie therof doe without proportion incomparably passe all others then it is graced with the Title of Incomparable soueraigne and supereminent dilection and in a word it shall be Charite due to one God onely And indeede in our lāguage the word deare dearely indeared doth testifie a certaine particular esteeme prise or valewe so that as amongst the people the word HOMO is almost appropriated to the male-kind as to the more excellent sexe and the word ADORATION is in a manner due to God onely as it 's prime obiect so the word CHARITIE is appropriated to him as to the supreame and soueraigne dilection That charitie ought to be named loue CHAPTER XIIII 1. ORIGIN saieth that the holy Scripture in his opinion vsed the word Charitie and Dilection as termes more honest least the word Loue might giue occasion of euill thoughts to the weaker sort as being more proper to signifie a carnall passion then a spirituall affection But S. AVGVSTINE hauing deeplier weighed the vse of Gods word clearely shewes that the word Loue is no lesse sacred then the word Dilection and that as well the one as the other doe sometimes signifie an holy affection as sometimes also a depraued passion alleading to this purpose diuerse passages of holy Scripture But the great S. DENIS as chiefe Doctour of the PROPRIETIE OF DIVINE NAMES goes much further in fauour of the word Loue teaching that the Diuins that is the Apostels and their first Disciples for this Saint knew no other Diuins to disabuse the vulgare and tame their Phansie who took the word Loue in a profaine and carnall sense the more willingly imployed it to signifie diuine things then that of Dilection and though they thought that both were indifferently taken for the same thing yet some of them were of opinion that the word Loue was more proper and agreeing to God then the word Dilection Hence the diuine IGNATIVS left these words written MY LOVE IS CRVCIFIED And as these Auncient Diuins made vse of the word Loue in heauenly matters to quit it of the touch of impuritie wherwith in the worlds imagination it was suspected so to expresse humane affections they pleased to vse the word Dilection as exempt from all suspition of dishonestie Whervpon some of them as S. DENIS reporteth saied thy Dilection hath made entrie into my soule as the Dilection of women In fine the word Loue doth signifie more feruour efficacie and actiuitie then that of Dilection so that amongst the Latins Dilection is much lesse significatiue then Loue. CLAVDIVS saieth the great Oratour bears me Dilection and to saie it more excellently He loues me and therefore the word Loue as the more excellent hath iustly bene imposed vpon Charitie as principall and most eminent of all Loues For these reasons and for that I pretended to speake of the Acts of Charitie more then of her habits I haue intitled this small worke A TREATISE OF THE LOVE OF GOD. Of the conueniencie betwixt God and man CHAPTER XV. 1. AS soone as a man takes the Diuinitie into his consideratiō with a little attētion he feeles a certaine delightfull leaping of the heart witnessing that God is God of man's heart and that our vnderstanding is neuer so filled with pleasure as in this consideration the least knowledge wherof as saieth the prince of Philosophers is more worth then the greatest of other things as the least Sunne beame is brighter then the greatest from the Moone or starres yea is more lightsome then the Moone and starres alltogether so that if any dreadfull accident assaie our heart it hath presently recourse to the Diuinitie protesting therin that when all other things faile him that onely stands his friend and when danger threateneth that onely is his soueraigne good and can saue and warrant him 2. This confidence this pleasure which man's heart naturally takes in God can spring from no other roote then from the conueniencie which is betwixt God and man's soule a great but secrete conueniencie a conueniencie which each one knowes but few vnderstands a conueniencie which cannot be denied nor yet be well founded we are created to the similitude and likenesse of God what is this to saie if not that we haue an extreamely great proportion with the diuine Maiestie 3. Our soule is spirituall indiuisible immortall vnderstands willeth and that freely is capable of discourse iudgment knowledge and of vertues in all which it resembles God It is all in all and all in euery part of the bodie as the Diuinitie is all in this our All and all in euery part therof man knowes and loues himselfe by acts produced and expressed by his vnderstanding and will distinguished in them selues remaining notwithstanding inseparably vnited in the soule and in these faculties from whence they proceede So the Sonne proceedes from the Father as his knowledge expressed and the Holy Ghost as loue expired and produced from the Father and the Sonne both the Persons being distinct in them selues and from the Father and yet inseparable and vnited or rather one same sole simple onely indiuisible Diuinitie 4. But besides this conueniencie of
are good for the beginning of ChristiaÌ„ wisdome coÌ„sisting of penance but he who deliberatly would not attaine to loue the perfectioÌ„ of penaÌ„ce should greatly offend him who ordained all to his owne loue as to the end of all things 4. To coÌ„clude the penaÌ„ce which excluds the loue of God is infernall like to that of the damned The repeÌ„tance which doth not reiect the loue of GOD though as yet it be without it is a good penaÌ„ce but imperfect and caÌ„not giue saluatioÌ„ vntill it attaine loue aÌ„d ioyne it selfe vnto it So that as the great Apostle saied that though he should deliuer his bodie to be burnt aÌ„d all his goods to the poore wanting charitie it should be vnprofitable vnto him so we may truly saie that though our penaÌ„ce were so great that it should cause our eies dissolue into teares aÌ„d our hearts breake with sorow without the sacred loue of God all this were nothing auailable to eternall life How there is mixture of Loue and sorrow in Contrition CHAPTER XX. 1. NAture did neuer that I know coÌ„uert fire into water though diuers waters are coÌ„uerted into fire yet God did it once by miracle for as it is writteÌ„ in the booâ—â— of MACHABIES when the childreÌ„ of Israel were coÌ„ducted into BabiloÌ„ in the time of SEDECIAS the Priests by HIEREMIES couÌ„sell hide the HOLY FIRE in a vallie in a drie well aÌ„d vpoÌ„ their returne the children of those that had hid it went to seeke it following the directions their fathers had giuen them and they found it conuerted into a thike water which being drawen by them and poured vpoÌ„ the sacrifices according to NEHEMIAS his ordinance as soone as the sunne beames had touched it it was conuerted into a great fire 4. THE amoÌ„gst the sorrowes of a liuely repeÌ„taÌ„ce GOD doth ofteÌ„ put in the botome of our heart the sacred fire of loue this loue is conuerted into the water of teares they by a secoÌ„d chang into a greater fire of loue Thus the famous PENITENT-LOVER loued first her Sauiour that loue was coÌ„uerted into teares and those into an excelleÌ„t loue whence our Sauiour told her that many sinns were pardon'd her because she loued much And as we see fire doth turne wine into a certaine water called AQVA-VITAE which doth so easily coÌ„ceiue fire that it is also term'd hot so the consideration of the soueraignly amiable Bountie offended by sinne doth produce the water of holy Penance and thence the fire of Diuine Loue doth issue properly term'd AQVAVITAE or hot water Penance is indeed a water in it's substance being a true dislike a reall griefe and repentance yet is it hot for that it containes the propertie of Loue whence it springs and giues the life of Grace So that PenaÌ„ce hath two effect's by sorrow and detestation it seperats vs froÌ„ sinne aÌ„d the Creaturs and by loue it reunits vs to God at once reclaiming vs froÌ„ siÌ„ne in qualitie of repentance and in qualitie of Loue reuniting vs to God 5. Yet will I not affirme that the perfect loue of God by which we loue him aboue all things doth alwayes preceede this repentaÌ„ce nor that this repentance doth alwayes preceede this loue for though it doth happen so many tymes yet so as that otherwhiles also at the same instant that diuine loue is conceiued in our heart penance is coÌ„ceiued by loue and often times penance entring into our heart loue doth enter with it and as when ESAV came out of his mothers wombe IACOB his twinne-brother held him by the foote to the end that their births might not onely follow the one the other but also might hold and entangle one an other so repentance rude and rough in regard of it's sorrowe was first borne as another ESAV and loue sweete and gracious holds him by the foote and doth cleeue so vnto him that their birth was one sith the end of the birth of repentance was the beginning of that of perfect loue Now as ESAV did first appeare so repentance doth ordinarily make it selfe to be seene before loue but loue as another IACOB although the younger doth afterwards subdue penance conuerting it into consolation 6. Marke I praie you THEO the well-beloued MAGDELEINE how she weepes with loue they haue taken vp my Sauiour quoth she melting into teares and I know not where they haue put him but hauing by teares and sobbs found him she holds and possesseth him by loue Imperfect loue desires and requires him penance doth seeke and find him perfect loue doth hold and tye him Euen as it is saied of the Ethiopian Rubies whose fire is naturally very blew but being dipped in vineger it shins and casteth out its cleare raies for the loue which goeth before repentance is ordinarily imperfect but being steeped in the bitternesse of penace it gaines strengh and becomes excellent loue 7. Yea it happens some times that penance though imperfect containes not in it selfe the proper action of loue but onely the vertue and proprietie of it you will aske me what vertue or proprietie of loue can repentance haue if she haue not the action GOD's goodnesse is the motife of perfect repentance whom it displeaseth vs to haue offended now this motife is for no other reason a motife then that it doth stire and moue vs. But the motion which the diuine goodnesse giues vnto the heart which considers it can be no other then the motion of loue that is of vnion And therefore true repentance though it seeme not so and though we perceiue not the proper effect of loue receiues alwayes motioÌ„ from loue and the vnitiue nature therof by meanes of which she doth reunite and reioyne vs to the diuine goodnesse Tell me I praie is it the propertie of the ADAMANT to draw and ioine iron vnto it selfe Doe we not see that iron touched with the ADAMANT without either it or its nature but onely its vertue and attractiue power doth notwithstanding draw and vnite vnto it an other iron So perfect repentance touched with the motife of loue without hauing the proper action of loue leaues not to haue the vertue and qualitie therof that is an vniting motion to reioyne and reunite our hearts to the diuine will But you will replie what difference is there betwixt this vniting motion of penance and the proper action of loue THEO the action of loue is indeede a motioÌ„ to vnion but it is performed by complacence wheras the motion of vnion which is in penance is not done by way of complacence but by dislike repentance reparatioÌ„ reconciliation for so much therefore as this motion doth vnite it is indued with the qualitie of loue in so much as it is bitter and dolorous it receiues the qualitie of penance and in fine by its naturall condition it is a true motion of penance yet so as it retaines the vertue and vniting qualitie of loue 8. So Treacle-wine is not so named for that it doth containe the proper Substance of
production CHAPTER XIII 1. THe eternall Father seeing she infinite Bountie ād Beautie of his essence so liuelily essentially and substantially expressed in his Sonne and the Sonne seeing reciprocally that his owne essence Bountie and Beautie was originally in his Father as in their source and fountaine ah can it possibly be that this Diuine Father and his Sonne should not mutually loue one another with an infinite loue sith their will by which they loue is infinite in each of them 2. Loue not finding vs equall doth equalize vs not finding vs vnited doth vnite vs. Now the Father and the Sonne finding themselues not onely equall and vnited but euen one same God one same Goodnesse one same essence and one same vnitie how much must they needes loue one another not with a loue which passeth as that of intellectuall creaturs amongst themselues or towards their Creator for created loue is exercised in many and diuers motions breathings vnions and tyes which doe immediatly succeede one another and continue loue with a gratfull vicissitude of spirituall motions But the diuine loue of the eternall Father towards his Sonne is practised in one onely breathing mutually from them both who in this sort remaine vnited and tied together I THEO for the Bountie of the Father and Sonne being but one sole singularly one bountie cōmon to them both the loue of this Bountie can be but one onely loue for though there be two Louers to wit the Father and the Sonne yet seeing there is onely their most singular Bountie common to them both which is loued and their most one will which doth loue there is thereof but one loue exercised by one SPIRATION of loue The Father breaths this loue and so doth the Sonne but because the Father doth not breath this loue but by meanes of the same will and for the same Bountie which is equally and singularly in him and his Sonne nor the Sonne againe doth not breath this SPIRATION of loue but for this same Bountie and by this same will therefore this SPIRATION of loue is but one SPIRATION or one onely SPIRIT breathed out by two which Breath 3. And because the Father and Sonne who breath haue an infinite essence and will by which they breath and that the Bountie for which they breath is infinite it is impossible the SPIRATION should not be infinite and for as much as it cannot be infinite without being God therfore this spirit breathed from the Father and the Sonne is true God and sith there neither is nor can be more then one onely God it is one onely true God with the Father and the Sonne But moreouer whereas this loue is an act which doth proceede mutually from the Father and the Sonne it can neither be the Father nor the Sonne from whom it proceeded though it haue the same Bountie and Substance of the Father ād the Sōne but must necessarily be a third diuine person who with the Father and the Sonne is onely God And for that this loue is produced by manner of SPIRATION or inspiration it is called the holy SPIRIT 4. Now THEO the king Dauid describing the sweetenesse of the frendshipe of Gods seruants cries out O God how good a thing it is And with a thousand sweetes of Blisse Doth yeeld a sacred hearts content To see in Brothers hearts consent Such sweetes are like the oiles was spred Vpon the consecrated head Of Aaron Preist which flowing downe Vpon his beard his necke and gowne Did sweetely all bedewe and which With daintie sentes did all enriche But ô God if humane friendshipe be so agreeable louelie and doe spreede so delicious an odour on them that doth contemplate it what shall it be my well-beloued THEOTIME to behold sacred loue mutually exercised betwixt the eternall Father and the Sonne SAINT GREGORIE NAZIANZENE recounts that the incomparable loue which was betwixt him and SAINT BASILE the Great was famous all through Greece And Tertullian doth testifie that the Pagans did admire the more then brotherly loue which raigned amongst the primitiue Christians O what Feast what solemnitie with what praises and Benedictions is the eternall and Soueraigne Friendshipe of the Father and the Sonne to be celebrated with what admirations to be honored and loued What is there amiable and worthy to be loued if not Friendshipe and if Friendshipe be amiable and worthy to be loued what Friendshipe is like to that infinite Friendshipe which is betwixt the Father and the Sonne who is the same God in a singular manner with them Our heart THEOTIME will fall into an Abisse of loue through admiration of the beautie and sweetenesse of the loue that this eternall Father and this incomprehensible Sonne doe practise diuinely and eternally That the Light of Glorie shall concurre to the vnion of the Blessed with God CHAPTER XIV 1. THus shall the created vnderstanding see the Diuine essence without the meanes of any species or representation yet not without a certaine excellent light which doth dispose eleuate and strengthen it to raise it's view so high and to an obiect so sublime and resplendāt For as the Owlets sight is strong enough to behold the gloomie light of a cleare night yet not to see the light at noonetide which is too glittering to be seene by so troubled and weake eyes so our vnderstanding which is strong enough to consider naturall truthes by discourse yea euen the supernaturall things of grace by the light of faith is not yet able neither by the light of nature nor faith to attaine vnto the view of the diuine substance in it selfe Wherefore the goodnesse of the eternall wisdome determined not to applie his essence to our vnderstanding till he had prepared reuigorated and enabled it to receiue a sight so eminent and disproportionable to the naturall condition thereof as is the view of the Diuinitie for so the Sunne the soueraigne obiect of our corporall eyes amongst naturall things doth not present himselfe vnto our view without sending first his raies by meanes whereof we may be able to see him so that we see him not but by his light Yet there is a difference betwixt the raies which the Sunne doth cast vpō our corporall eyes and the light which God will create in our vnderstanding in Heauen for the Sunn's raies doe not fortifie our corporall eyes when they are weake and vnable to see but doth rather dazle waste and blinde their infirme sight whereas contrariwise this sacred LIGHT OF GLORIE finding our vnderstandings weake and incapable to behould the Diuinitie it doth raise strengthen and perfect them so excellently that by an incomprehensible wonder they doe behould and contemplate the Abisse of the Diuine brightnesse in it selfe with a firme and straight view not being dazled or repulsed by the infinit greatnesse of it's splendour 2. In like manner therefore as God hath endewed vs with the light of reason by which we may know him as Authour of nature and the light of faith
how can this be vnderstoode that the Angels who see the Redeemour and in him all the mysteries of our saluation doe yet desire to see him THEO Verily they see him continually but with a viewe so agreeable and delicious that the complacence they take in it doth satiate them without taking away their desire and makes them desire without remouing their Sacietie the fruition is not lessened by the desire but perfected therby as their desire is not cloied but sharpned by the fruition 5. The fruition of a thing which doth continually content doth neuer fade but is renewed and flourisheth incessantly it is still agreeable still amiable The continuall contentment of heauenly louers produceth a desire perseuerantly content as their continuall desire doth beget in them a contentment perseuerantly desired The good which is finite in giuing the possession doth end the desire and in giuing the desire doth dispossesse while it cannot at once be possessed and desired But the infinite Good makes desire raigne with possession and possession with desire finding a way to saciate desire by a holy presence and yet make it liue by the greatnesse of its excellencie which doth nourish in all those that possesse it a continually contented desire and a contentment continually desired 6. Consider THâ—OT such as hold in their mouth the hearbe SCITIQVE for following report they are neither hungrie nor thristie so doth it saciate and yet doe they neuer loose appetite so deliciously doth it nourish them When our will meetes God she reposeth in him taking therein a soueraigne complacence yet without staying the motions of her desire for as she desires to loue so she loues to desire she hath the desire of loue and the loue of desire The repose of the heart consisteth not in immobilitie but in hauing want of nothing Not in not mouing but in not hauing neede to moue 7. The damned are in eternall motion without all mixture of rest we mortalls who are yet in this pilgrimage haue now motion now rest in our affections The Blessed haue continuall repose in their motion and continuall motion in their repose onely God hath repose without motion because he is soueraignely on substantiall and pure act And though according to the ordinarie condition of this mortall life we rest not in motion yet notwithstanding when we make essaies of the exercises of the immortall life that is when we practise the acts of holy loue we find repose in the motion of our affections and motion in the repose of the complacence which we take in our well-beloued receiuing hereby fore-tastes of the future Felicitie to which we aspire 8. If it be true that the Cameleon liues of aire wheresoeuer he goes in the aire he finds foode aÌ„d though he stirre from one place to another it is not to find wherewithall to be satiated but to exercise himselfe in his element as fishes in the sea Who desires God in possessing him doth not desire him to search him but to exercise affection euen in the good which he enioyes for the heart doth not make this motion of desire as pretending the fruition of a thing not had sith it is already had but as dilating it selfe in the fruition which it hath not to obtaine the Good but to recreate and please it selfe therein not to enioye it but to reioyce in it No otherwise then we moue our selues and goe to some delicious garden where being arriued we cease not to walke and stire our selues yet it is not to come thither but being there to walke and passe our time we went to enioye the pleasantnesse of the garden being there we walke to please our selues in the fruition of it Let not in length of time be found a space In which we cease to search t'Almighties face We alwayes seeke whom we alwayes loue saieth the Great S. AVGVSTINE Loue seekes whom it hath found not to haue him but to haue him still 9. Finally THEO the soule who is in the exercise of the loue of complacence cries continually in her sacred silence It suffiseth me that God be God that his Goodnesse be infinite that his perfection be immence whether I liue or not it little imports me sith that my deare well-beloued liues eternally a triumphant life Death it selfe cannot attristate a heart who knowes that its soueraigne Loue liues It is sufficient for a heart that loues that he whom it loues more then it selfe is replenished with eternall happinesse seeing that it liues more in him whom it loues then him whom it doth animate yea that it liues not but its well-beloued liues in it Of a louing condoling by which the complacence of loue is better declared CHAPTER IV. 1. COmpassion condoling commiseration or mercy is no other thing then an affection which makes vs share in the sufferaÌ„ces and griefes of him whom we loue drawing the miserie which he endures into our heart whence it is called MISERICORDIA as one would saie MISERIA CORDIS as complacence doth draw into the louers heart the pleasures and contentments of the thing beloued It is Loue that workes both the effectes by the vertue it hath to vnite the louers heart to the beloued by this meanes making the good and euill which they haue coÌ„mon betwixt them And that which happens in compassion doth much illustrate that which toucheth complacence 2. Compassion takes her grouth from the loue whence she proceedes So we see mothers doe deeply condole the afflictions of their onely children as the Scripture doth often testifie How great was the sorrow of Agars heart vpon the griefe of her Ismael whom she saw well nigh perish with thirst in the Desert How much did DAVIDS soule commiserate the miserie of his Absolon Ah doe you not marke the motherly heart of the great Apostle sicke with the sicke burning with zeale for such as were scandalized with a continuall dolour for the losse of the Iewes and dayely dying for his deare spirituall children But especially coÌ„sider how loue drawes all the paines all the torments trauells sufferances griefes wounds passioÌ„ crosse and death it selfe of our Redeemour into his most sacred Mothers heart Alas the same Nailes that crucified the bodie of this diuine child did also crucifie the mothers heart the same thrones which pearced his head did strike through the heart of this entirely sweete mother she endured the same miseries with her sonne by commiseration the same dolours by condoling the same passions by compassion to be short the sworde of death which transpearced the bodie of this best beloued sonne did stricke through the heart of this most louing mother whence she might well haue saied that he was to her a POSIE OF MIRRHE amidst her breastes that is in her bosome and in the midst of her heart IACOB hearing the sad though false newes of the death of his deare IOSEPH you see how he is afflicted with it ah saied he in sorrow I will descend to hell that is to saie to Lymbo into
ABRAHAMS bosome after this child 3. Commiseration is also great according to the greatnesse of their sufferances whom we loue for how little soeuer the frieÌ„dshipe be if the euells which we see endured be extreame they cause in vs great pitie This made Cesar weepe ouer Pompey and the daughters of Hierusalem could not stay themselues from weeping ouer our Sauiour though the greater part of them did not much affect him as also the friends of IACOB though wicked friends made great lamentation in beholding the dreadfull spectacle of his incomparable miserie and what a stroke of griefe was it in the heart of IACOB to thinke that his deare child was dead of a death so cruell as to be deuoured by a sauage beaste But besids all this commiseration is much strengthened by the presence of the obiect in miserie this caused the poore Agar absent her selfe from her languishing sonne to disburden her selfe in some sort of the compassionate griefe which she felt saying I will not see the child die as contrariwise our Sauiour weepes seeing the sepulchre of his well-beloued Lazarus and beholding his deare Hierusalem And the good IACOB was struck with griefe when he saw the bloodie Robe of his poore little IOSEPH 4. Now as many causes also doe augment complacence As a friend is more deare vnto vs we take more pleasure in his contentment and his good doth enter more deeply into our heart which if it be excellent our ioye is also greater but if we see our friend while he enioyes it our reioycing becomes extreame When the good IACOB knew that his sonne liued ô God what ioye his heart returned home he reuiued yea as one would saie returned to life But what is this he reuiued returned to life THEO SPIRITS die not their proper death but by sinne which seperateth them from God who is their true supernaturall life yet die they sometimes by anothers death and this happened to IAGOB of whom we speake for loue which drawes into the heart of the louer the good and euill of the thing beloued the one by complacence the other by commiseration drew the death of the louely IOSEPH into the louing IACOBS heart and by a miracle impossible to any other power but loue the minde of the good Father was full of the death of him that liued and raigned deceiued affection forerunning the effect 5. But as soone as he had knowen that his sonne was a liue Loue who had so long detained the presupposed death of the sonne in the good Fathers heart seeing that he was deceiued speedely reiected this imaginarie death and made enter in its place the true life of the saied sonne Thus then he returned to a new life because the life of his sonne entred into his heart by complacence and animated him with an incomparable contentment with which finding himselfe satisfied and not esteeming any other pleasure in comparison of this it fufficeth me saieth he if my child IOSEPH liue But when with his proper eyes he experienced his deare childs greatenesse in Gessan hanging vpon him and for a good space weeping about his necke ah now saieth he I will die ioyfull my deare SoÌ„ne sith I haue seene thy face and thou dost yet liue ô God what a ioye THEO and how excellently expressed by this old man For what would he saie by these words now I will die contented sith I haue seene thy face but that his content was so great that it was able to render death it selfe ioyfull and agreeable being the most discomfortable and horrible thing in the world Tell me I pray you THEO who hath more sense of IOSEPHES good he that enioyes it or IACOB who reenioyes it Certainly if good be not good but in respect of the content which it affordeth vs the father hath as much yea more then the Sonne for the sonne together with the dignitie of VICE-ROY whereof he is possessed hath coÌ„sequently many cares aÌ„d affaires but the Father doth enioye by Complacence and purely possesse all that good is in this his sonnes greatenesse and dignitie without charge care or trouble I will dye Ioyfull saieth he Alas who doth not see his contentment if euen death cannot trouble his ioye who can euer chang it if his content can liue amidst the distresses of death who can euer bereeue him of it Loue is strong as death and the ioyes of loue doe surmount the anoyes of death for death caÌ„not kill but doth reuiue them so that as there is a fire which miraculously is feed in a fountaine nere Greenoble as I surely know and S. AVGVSTINE doth attest so holy Charitie is so strong that she doth nourish her flames and consolations in the saddest anguishes of death and the waters of tribulations cannot extinguish her fires Of the commiseration and Complacence of loue in our Sauiours Passion CHAPTER V. 1. VVHen I see my Sauiour vpon the mouÌ„t Oliuet with his soule sad euen to death O Lord Iâ—SVS saie I who could haue borne these sorrowes of death in the soule of life if not loue who mouing commiseration drew thereby our miseries into thy soueraigne heart Now a deuote soule seeing this abisse of sorrow and distresse in this Diuine louer how can she be without a holily louing griefe But considering on the other side that none of these her well-beloued's afflictions proceede from any imperfectioÌ„ or want of force but from the greatnesse of his most deare loue she cannot but melt with a holily dolorous loue so that she cries out I am blacke with griefe by compassion but I am faire with loue by Complacence the anguishes of my well-beloued haue changed my hew for how can a faithfull louer see him so tormented whom she loues more then her life without becomming appalled withered and dried vp with griefe Nomades tents perpetually exposed to the outrage of weather and warrs are almost still beaten and couered with dust and I open to sorrows which by commiseration I receiue from the excessiue suffrances of my diuine Sauiour I am quite couered with anguishe and split with griefe but because his griefes whom I loue proceede from his loue as much as they afflict me by compassion they delight me by Complacence For how must not a faithfull louer needes haue an extreme coÌ„teÌ„t to see her selfe so much beloued of her heauenly Spouse And hence the beautie of loue appears in the foulenesse of griefe And though I weare mourning weedes for the Passion and death of my King deformed and blacked with griefe yet am I not without an incomparable delight to behold the excesse of his loue amidst the panges of his sorrowes And the tents of SALOMON brodered and wrought with an incomparable diuersitie of worke was neuer so goodlie as I am content and consequently sweete amiable and agreeable in the varietie of the essaies of loue which I feele amongst these griefes Loue doth equalize the louers ah I see this deare louer who is a burning fire in a thornie
cannot be saciated it doth much torment the mind 3. If a Bee had stung a child it were to sweete pourpose to saie to him ô my child the very Bee that stung thee is the same that makes the honie which likes thee so well for it is true might it replie her honie is very pleasant to my taste but her sting is painefull and while her sting stikes in my cheake I shall neuer be at rest and doe you not marke that my face is all swollen with it THEO Loue is indeede a Complacence and by consequence very delightfull so that it leaues not in our heart the sting of desire for when it leaues it there is left with it a great paine True it is this paine proceedes from loue and therefore is an amiable and beloued paine Heare the painfull yet louelie eiaculations of a royall Louer My soule thrisleth after her strong and liuing God Ah! when shall I come and appeare before the face of my God my teares haue bene bread to me night and day while it is saied vnto me where is thy God And the sacred Sunamite wholy possessed with dolorous loues speaking to the daughters Alas saieth she I coniure you if you meete my beloued tell him my griefe because I languish with the wound of loue Delaied hope afflicts the soule 4. Now the painfull wounds of loue are of diuers sorts 1. The first touches that loue giues our heart are called wounds because the heart that was sound entire and it 's owne before it loued being strook with loue begins to separate and diuide it selfe from it selfe to giue it selfe to the beloued obiect nor can this separation be made without paine seeing paine is no other thing then a separation of liuing things that were vnited 2. Desire doth incessantly sting and wound the heart in which it is lodged 3. TAEO speaking of heauenly loue in the practise of it there is a kind of wound giuen by God himselfe to the soule which he will perfect for he giues her admirable feelings and incomparable touches of his soueraigne goodnesse as pressing and soliciting her to loue him and then she forcibly bears herselfe vp as to soare higher towards her diuine obiect but lighting short not being able to loue with proportion to her desire ô God she feeles a paine without paragon At the same instant that she is powerfully drawen to flie towards her deare and well beloued she is powerfully retained and cannot flie as being chained to the seruile miseries of this mortall life and out of her owne impotencie she wisheth the winge of the doue to flie to her repose but finds it not So that she is roughly tormented betwixt the violencie of her desires and her owne impotencie ô miserable wretch that I am saied one of those that had tried this tormēt who will deliuer me from the bodie of this death And then if you marke it THEO it is not the desire of a thing absent that doth wound the heart for the soule perceiues that her God is present he had already led her into his wine celler planted vpon her heart the banner of loue but howbeit though already he see her wholy his he vrgeth her and from time to time toucheth her with a thousand thousand darts of his loue shewing her by new meanes how much more louely he is then he is beloued And she who hath not so much force to loue as loue to force her selfe seeing her forces so weake in respect of the desire she hath to loue him worthily to whose worth no force of loue can reach alas she finds her selfe stroock with an incomparable torment for in the same measure that she sobbs out more deeply the longings of her coueting loue the panges of her paine are augmented 5. This heart in loue with God desiring infinitly to loue sees notwithstanding that it can neither loue nor desire sufficiently Now this vnaccomplished desire is as a dart in the breast of a generous spirit yet the paine which proceedes from it is amiable because whosoeuer desires earnestly to loue loues also earnestly to desire And would esteeme himselfe the most miserable man aliue if he did not continually desire to loue that which is so soueraignely good Desiring to loue he receiues delight but louing to desire he is paied with paine 6. Good God THEOT what am I going to saie The Blessed in heauen seeing that God is more to be beloued then they loue him would sownd and eternally perish with a desire to loue him more if God's holiest will did not impose vpon theirs the admirable repose which they enioye for they so soueraignely loue this soueraigne will that the desire thereof doth quiet theirs and God's contentment doth content them being willing to be limited in their loue euen by that will whose Goodnesse is the obiect of their loue If this were not their loue would be equally delicious and dolourous delicious by the possession of so great a good dolourous through an extreame desire of a greater loue God therefore continually drawing arrowes if we may saie so out of the quiuer of his infinite beautie wounds the hearts of his Louers making them clearely see that they doe not loue him nigh so much as he is worthy to be beloued what mortall soeuer desires not to loue the Diuine goodnesse more loues him not enough sufficiencie in this diuine exercise doth not suffise him that will make a stand in it as though it suffised him Of some other meanes by which loue wounds the heart CHAPTER XIV 1. NOthihg doth so much wound a louing heart as to perceiue another heart wounded with the loue of it The Pellican builds her nest vpon the ground whence serpents doe often sting her younglings Now when this happens the Pellican as an excellent naturall Phisition with the point of her beake doth woūd her poore younglings on euery side to cause the poyson which the Serpents sting had spred ouer all the bodie to depart with the blood and to get out all the poison she lets out all the blood and consequently permits the little troope of Pellicans to perish in this sort but seeing them dead she wounds her selfe and spredding her blood ouer them she doth reuiue them with a more new and pure life her loue wounded them and fourthwith by the same loue she wounds her selfe Neuer doe we wound a heart with the wound of loue but we our selues are straight wounded with the same When the soule sees her God wounded by loue for her sake she receiues from it a mortall wound Thou hast wounded my heart saied the heauenly Spouse to the Sunamite and the Sunamite cries-out tell my well-beloued that I am wounded with loue Bees neuer wound but themselues are wounded to death And we seeing the Sauiour of our soules wounded by loue for vs to death and death of the crosse how can we but be wounded with him yea I saie wounded with a wound so much more dolorously
to Egipt ād from Egipt to Iudea Ah who can then doubt but this holy Father being come to the period of his dayes was reciprocally borne by his diuine Nurse-child in his passage from this to another life into Abrahams bosome to translate him from thence to Glorie in the daie of his Ascension A Saint that had loued so much in his life could not die but of loue for his heart not being able to loue his deare IESVS so much as he desired while he continued amongst th◠distractions of this life and hauing alreadie performed the dutie which he ought to his non-age what remained but that he should saie to the Eternall Father O Father I haue accomplished my charge and then to the Sonne ◠my child as thy heauenly Father put thy tender bodie into my hands the daie of thy cōming into this world so doe I render vp my soule 〈◊〉 thyne this daie of my departure out of this world 2. Such as I conceiue was the death of this great Patriarch a man elected to performe the most deare and louing offices that euer was or shall be performed to the Sōne of God saue those that were done by the Sacred Spouse the true naturall mother of the saied sonne of whom it is not possible to make a conceit that she died of any other kind of death then of loue A death the most noble of all and consequently due to the most noble life that euer was amongst creaturs A death whereof the very Angels would desire to die if die they could If the primatiue Christians were saied to haue but one heart and one soule by reason of their perfect mutuall loue If S. Paule liued not himselfe but IESVS CHRIST liued in him by reason of the close vnion of his heart to his Maisters wherby his soule was as dead in the heart which it quickened to liue in the heart of the Sauiour which it loued O Good God how much more true it is that the Sacred Virgin and her Sonne had but one soule one heart and one life so that this heauēly mother in liuing liued not but her sonne liued in her She was a mother the most louing and the most beloued that euer could be yea louing and beloued with a loue incomparably more eminent then that of all the Orders of Angels and men like as the names of an onely Mother and an onely Sonne are names passing all other names in matter of loue and I saie of an onely mother and an onely Sonne because all the other sonne◠of men doe diuide the acknowledgment of their production betwixt their Father and mother but in this sonne as all his humane birth depēds of his mother alone who alone contributed that which was requisite to the vertue of the holy Ghost for the cōception of this heauenly child so to her alone all the loue which sprung from that production was rendred as due In such sort that this Sonne and this mother were vnited in an vnion by so much more excellent as her name in loue is different and aboue all other names for which of the Seraphins can saie to our Sauiour thou art my true Sonne and as such I loue thee And to which of his creaturs did our Sauiour euer saie Thou art my true mother and as my true mother I loue thee Thou art my true mother entirely myne and I am thy true sonne wholy thyne And if a louing seruant durst and did indeede saie that he had no other life then his Maisters Alas how confidently and feruently might this mother proclame I haue no life but the life of my Sonne my life is wholy in his and his wholy in myne for there was not a meere vnion but an vnitie of hearts betwixt this mother and this sonne 3. And if this mother liued by her Sonns life she also died of her Sonns death for such as is the life such is the death The Phenix as the report goes growen very aged gathers together in the top of a mountaine a quantitie of aromaticall woods vpon which as vpon he bed of honour she goes to end her dayes for when the Sunne being at his highest doth streame out his hotest beames this most singular bird to contribute the aduantage of action to the Sunns ardour ceaseth not to beate with her wings vpon her bed till she haue made it take fire and burning with it she consumes and dies in those odoriferous flames In like manner THEO the virgin Marie hauing assembled in her heart all the most amiable Mysteries of the life and death of her sonne by a most liuely and continuall memorie of them and withall RECTA LINEA receiuing the most ardent inspirations which her Sonne the Sonne of Iustice darted vpon mortalls euen in the heate of his charitie And further of her part making a perpetuall motion of Contemplation in the end the sacred fire of this heauenly loue did wholy consume her as an Holocaust of sweetenesse so that she died of it her soule being altogether rauished and transported into the armes of her Sonns loue O death louingly vitall ô Loue vitally mortall 4. Many sacred Louers were present at our Sauiours death amongst whom such as did most loue did also most greeue for Loue was then sleeped in griefe and griefe in Loue and all such as were feruent in loue towards their Sauiour fell in loue with his passion and paine But the sweete mother who passed all in loue receiued a deeper wound from the sword of griefe then all the rest Her Sonns paine was then a sharp sword which rāne through his mothers heart it being glewed ioyned ād vnited to her sonns in so perfect an vnion that nothing could hurt the one which did not as deeply hurt the other Now this motherly heart being in this sort wounded with loue did not onely not seeke to haue her wound cured but euen loued her wound better then all cures dearely conseruing the darts of sorrow which she had receiued in her heart because it was loue that shot them at her and continually desiring to die of thē as her sonne died thereof who as the holy Scripturs and all the Doctours doe witenesse died amidst the flames of Charitie a perfect HOLOCAVST for all the sinnes of the world That the Glorious virgin died of an extreamely sweete and calme loue CHAPTER XIV 1. OF one side it is saied that our B. Ladie reuealed to S. Mathilda that the sickenesse whereof she died was no other thing then an impetuous assault of loue Yet S. Brigit and S. Iohn Damascen doe witnesse that she died an exceeding peaceable death and both are true THEOTIME 2. The starres are wonderfull delightfull to behold and cast out pleasing shines yet if you haue noted it they bring forth their rayes by way of gatterings sparklings and dartings as though they were deliuered of their light by trauell at diuers essayes whether it be that their weake light cannot keepe a continuall equalitie of action or
heart for the obstinacie of the Iewes 2. Yet be sinners neuer so obstinate let vs neuer desist to aide and assist them for what doe we know but they may doe pennance and be saued happie is he that can saie to his neighbour as did S. Paule I haue neither ceased night nor day to admonish euery of you with teares and therefore I am cleare of your blood for I haue not bene sparing in denouncing vnto you Gods good pleasure in euery behalfe So lōg as there remaines any hope that the sinner will amend which alwayes remaines as long as life we must neuer reiect him but praie for him and assist him as farre forth as his miserie will permit 3. But lastly after we haue wept ouer the obstinate and performed towards them the good offices of Charitie in essaying to reclame them from perdition we must imitate our Sauiour and the Apostles that is we must remoue our mind from thence and place it vpon other obiects and imployments more to the aduancement of Gods glorie We were first saied the Apostles to the Iewes to announce the word of God vnto you but whereas you reiect it and make your selues vnworthy of the raigne of IESVS-CHRIST we will betake our selues to the Gentils The kingdome of God saieth our Sauiour shall be taken from you and shall be giuen to a nation that will make some profit of it Nor can one indeede spend much time in bewailing some few without loosing time fit and necessarie to procure the saluation of others It is true indeede the Apostle saieth that the losse of the Iewes is a cōtinuall corrasiue vnto him yet he spoke it in no other sense then we saie that we praise God continually for we meane no other thing thereby then that we praise him very frequently and in euery occasion and in the same manner the glorious S. Paule felt a continuall griefe in his heart caused by the Iewes reprobation for that in euery occasion he bemoaned their mishape 4. For the rest we must for euer adore Loue and praise God's reuenging and punishing IVSTICE as we loue his MERCY being both daughters of his goodnesse For as he is good yea soueraignly good he makes vs good by his grace by his IVSTICE he punisheth sinne because he hates it and he hates it for that being soueraignly good he hates the soueraigne euill which is iniquitie And in conclusion note that God doth neuer otherwise withdraw his MERCY from vs then by the iust vengāce of his punishing IVSTICE nor doe we euer escape the rigour of his IVSTICE but by his iustifying MERCY and howsoeuer whether he punish or gratifie vs his good pleasure is worthy of adoration loue and euerlasting praise So the Iust who sing the praises of Gods MERCY for such as haue wrought their owne saluation shall reioyce euen in seeing Gods vengance The Blessed shall with ioye approue the Sentence of the Reprobats damnation as well as that of the Elects saluation And the Angels hauing exercised their Charitie towards those that they had in keeping shall remaine in peace while they see them obstinate yea euen damned We are therefore to submit our selues to the Diuine will and kisse the right hand of his MERCY and the left hand of his IVSTICE with an equall Reuerence How the puritie of Indifferencie is practised in the actions of holy Loue. CHAPTER IX 1. THe most excellent Musician of the Vniuersitie and one that had a skeelfull hād vpō the Lute became in time so deadly deafe that his hearing serued him for nothing yet ceased he not for all that to sing and to handle his Lute marueilous delicatly by reasō of the perfect habite which he had therein whereof his deafenesse did not depriue him But taking no pleasure in his song nor yet in the sound of his Lute as being depriued of his hearing he could not perceiue the sweetenesse and delight of it so that he neither sung nor plaied saue onely to content a Prince whose natiue subiect he was and whom he infinitely desired to please as hauing an infinite obligatiō vnto him for his breeding from his childhood Hence he tooke an incomparable delight to delight him and when his Prince made shew to be delighted in his musike he was rauished with delight But it happened sometimes that the Prince to make triall of this louing Musician's loue gaue him order to sing and presently vpon it leauing him there wēt a hunting yet the desire which this Chaunter had to accomplish his Maisters desires made him continue his musike as attentiuely as though his Prince had bene present though in very deede he had no content in his owne song for he neither had the pleasure of the Melodie whereof his deafenesse depriued him nor the content of pleasing his Prince who being absent could not enioye the sweetenesse and pleasure of the ayre which he sung My heart to sing is readie and dispos'd A hymne in honour of thy name compos'd My soule and spirit ardently essayes To sing thy praise Vp then my glorie vp and quit thy rest In Harpe ād Psaltere let our lord be bles't Mans heart is the true Chaunter of the Canticle of sacred Loue himselfe the HARPE or PSALTER Now ordinarily this Chaunter is his owne auditorie taking a great pleasure in the Melodie of his song I meane our heart louing God doth taste the delights of this Loue and takes an incomparable contentment to loue so louely an obiect Marke I praie you THEO what I would saie The Little young Nightingales doe first essaie a beginning of song by imitating the old one but hauing got skill and passing Maisters they sing for the pleasure which they take in their owne song and doe so passhionatly addict themselues to this delight as I haue saied in an other place that by striuing to send out their voice their weseele bursting they send out their life So our hearts in the beginning of deuotion loue God that they may be vnited and become gratefull vnto him and imitate him in that he hath loued vs for all eternitie but by little and little being formed and exercised in holy Loue they are imperceptibly changed and in lieu of louing God to please God they begin to Loue him for the pleasure they take in the exercises of holy Loue and insteede of falling in Loue with God they fall in Loue with the Loue they beare him and stand affected to their owne affections not taking any more pleasure in God but in the pleasure they take in his Loue contenting themselues with this Loue because it is theirs that it is in their heart whence it proceedes for though this sacred Loue be called the Loue of God because God is loued by it yet it is also ours we being the Louers that Loue by it And herevpon we come to chang for insteede of louing this holy Loue for that it tends to God who is the beloued we Loue it because it proceedes from vs who are
not to affect them nor reinuest our heart therewith saue onely so farre forth as we discerne it to agree with God's good pleasure And as Iudith wore still moorning weedes except onely in this occasion wherein Gods will was that she should be in pompe so are we peaceably to remaine vested in our miserie and abiection amidst our imperfections and infirmities till God shall exalt vs to the practise of excellent actions 3. One cannot long remaine in this nakednesse voide of all affection Wherefore following the aduise of the holy Apostle as soone as we haue turn'd off the garments of the old Adam we are to put on the habits of the new man that is to saie of IESVS CHRIST for hauing renounced all yea euen the affection to vertues neither desiring of these nor of other things a larger portion then may beare proportion with God's will we must put on againe diuers affections and peraduenture the very same which we haue renounced and resigned vp yet are we not therefore to resume theÌ„ for that they are agreeable profitable honorable and proper to content our self-selfe-love but because they are agreeable to God profitable to his honour and ordained to his glorie 4. Eliezer carried eare-jewels bracelets and new attire for the mayde whom God had prouided for his Maisters sonne and in effect he presented them to the virgine Rebecca as soone as he knew it was she New garmeÌ„ts are required to our Sauiour's Spouse If for the Loue of God she hath bereft her selfe of the auncient affections which she had to Parents Countrie Father's house and allie she must take a span new affection louing euery of these in their ranke not now accorcording to humane considerations but because the heauenly Spouse doth will command and intend it so and hath established such an order in Charitie If one haue once put off his old affectioÌ„ to spirituall consolations to exercises of deuotion to the practise of vertues yea to his owne aduancement in perfection he must put on another new affection by louing all these graces and heaueÌ„ly fauours not because they perfect and adorne our minde but for that our Sauiours name is sanctified in them his kingdome enriched his good pleasure glorified 5. So did S. PETER vest himselfe in the Prison not at his owne election but at the Angels command He puts on his girdle then his Sandales and afterwards the rest of his garments And the glorious S. PAVLâ— bereft in a moment of all affections Lord quoth he what wilt thou haue me doe that is what is thy pleasure I should affect since throwing me to the ground thou hast deaded me to myne owne will Ah Lord plant thy good pleasure in the place of it and teach me to performe thy will for thou art my God THEO he that hath forsaken all for God ought to resume nothing but according to Gods pleasure he feeds not his bodie but according to Gods ordinance that it may be seruiceable to the Spirit all his studie is to assist his neighbour and his owne soule according to the Diuine intention he practiseth not vertues as being according to his owne heart but according to God's 5. God commanded the Prophet Isaie to stripe himselfe naked which he did going and preaching in this sort for three dayes together as some hold or for three yeares together as others think and then the time prefixed him by God being expired he resumed his clothes Euen so are we to turne our selues out of affections little and great as also to make a frequent examine of our hearts to discouer whether it be willing to vnuest it selfe as Isaie did his garments as also to resume in their time the affections necessarie to the seruice of charitie to the end we might die with our Sauiour naked vpon the crosse and rise againe with him in newnesse of life Loue is as strong as death to make vs quit all it is magnificent as the Resurrection to adorne vs with honour and glorie The end of the ninth booke THE TENTH BOOKE OF THE COMMANDEMENT OF LOVING GOD ABOVE ALL things Of the sweetenesse of the Commandement which God gaue vs to loue him aboue all things CHAPTER I. 1. MAN is the perfection of the Vniuerse the Spirit the perfection of man Loue the Spirits and Charitie the perfection of Loue. WheÌ„ce the Loue of God is the end of perfection and the Excellencie of the vniuerse In this THEO doth consist the hight and primacie of the Commandement of Diuine Loue called by our Sauiour the first and greatest Commandemet This Commandement is as a Sunne giuing luster and dignitie to all the holy lawes to all the Diuine â—ordonances and to all the holy Scripturs All is made for this heauenly Loue and all tends to it Of the sacred Tree of this Commandement all consolations exhortations inspirations and euen all the other Commandements haue dependance as it's flowres and eternall life as it 's fruit and all that tends not to eternall Loue tends to eternall death O great Commandement whose perfect practise remaines euen in the euerlasting life yea it is no other thing then life euerlasting 2. But marke THEO how amiable this law of Loue is ah Lord God was it not sufficient that thou shouldst permit vs this heauenly Loue as KABAN permitted IACOB to Loue RACHEL without daigning farther to inuite vs to it by exhortations and vrge vs to it by thy Commandements Nay more ô Diuine Goodnesse to the end that neither thy Maiestie nor our miserie nor any other pretext at all might delay our loue to thee thou dost command it vs. The poore APELLES could neither abstaine from louing nor yet aduenture to loue the faire COMPASPE because she appertained to ALEXANDER the Great but wheÌ„ he had once leaue to loue her how much did he hold himselfe obliged to him that did him the grace He knew not whether he should more loue the faire COMPASPE granted him by so great an Emperour or so great an Emperour who had granted him the faire COMPASPE O sweete God THEO If we could vnderstand it what an obligation should we haue to this Soueraigne good who doth not onely permit but doth euen command vs to loue him Alas my God I know not whether I ought more to loue thyne infinite Beautie which so great a Bountie hath ordained that I should loue or thy Diuine Bountie which ordaines that I should loue so infinite a Beautie O Beautie how amiable thou art being granted vnto me by a Bountie so immense O Bountie how amiable thou art in communicating vnto me so eminent a Beautie 3. God at the day of Iudgment will imprint after an admirable maÌ„ner in the hearts of the damned the apprehension of their losse for the Diuine Maiestie will make them clearely see the Soueraigne Beautie of his face and the Treasures of his Bountie and vpon the sight of this Abisse of infinite delights the will desires with an extreame violence to cast her selfe vpon
that is vnions recollections and the reposes of loue whereof we spoke in the 5. and 6. booke Marry they doe not enioye them in qualitie of Spouses because the superfluitie with which they affect good things hinders them from a frequent entrie into these Diuine Vnions with the Spouse being busied and distracted in louing that out of him and without him which they ought not to Loue but in him and for him Of two other degrees of greater perfection by which we may Loue God aboue all things CHAPTER V. 1. NOw there are other soules that neither Loue superfluities nor yet with superfluitie but loue onely that which God will and as he will Blessed soules who loue God their friends in God and their enemyes for God they Loue many things together with God but none at all saue in God and for God It is God that they Loue not onely aboue all things but euen in all things and all things in God resembling the Phenix growne young againe and come to her perfect strength which is neuer seene but in the aire or vpon the tops of mountaines that touch vpon the aire for so these soules Loue nothing but in God though indeede they Loue many things with God and God with many things S. LVKE recounts that our Sauiour inuited a young man to follow him who indeede loued him dearely but he had also a great affection to his Father and therevpō had a mind to returne home to him But our Sauiour out of this superfluitie of Loue and excited him to a Loue more pure that he might not onely Loue our Sauiour more then his Father but that he should not euen Loue him at all but in our Sauiour Leaue the care of burying the dead to the dead as for thee who hast met with life goe and preach the Kingdome of Heauen And these soules as you see THEOT hauing so great a connection with the Spouse they merite to participate of his ranke and to be Queenes as he is King being they are entirely dedicated to him without diuision or seperation at all hauing no affections out of him or without him but onely in him and for him 2. But aboue all these soules there is yet one Onely-one who is the Queene of Queenes the most louing the most Louelie and the most beloued of all the Friends of the Diuine Spouse who doth not onely Loue God aboue all things and in all things but euen Loues nothing but God in all things so that she Loues not many things but one onely thing which is God himselfe And whereas it is God alone that she loueth in all that she loueth she Loues him indifferently in all things according as his good pleasure may require out of all and without all If it be onely HESTER that Assuerus loueth why should he more Loue her being perfumed and deckt then in her ordinarie attire If it be my Sauiour onely that I Loue why should I not as much affect the Mount Caluarie as the Mount Thabor since he is as well in the one as in the other and why should I not as cordially pronounce in the one as in the other IT IS GOOD FOR VS TO BE HERE If I Loue my Sauiour in Egipt without louing Egipt why shall I not Loue him in Simon the Leporous his banket without louing the Banket and if I Loue him amidst the blasphemies which are poured vpon him not louing the blasphemies why shall I not Loue him perfumed with Magdalens pretious oyntment without either affecting the oyntment or the sent thereof It is a true signe that we Loue onely God in all things when we Loue him equally in all things since that he being in himselfe immutable the mutabilitie of our Loue towards him must needes proceede frō some thing that is not himselfe Now the sacred Louer Loues her God no more with the whole world to boote then though he were all alone without the world because all that is out of God and is not God is as nothing to her An entirely pure soule Loues not euen Heauē but by reason that her Spouse is loued therein but a Spouse so soueraignly beloued in his Heauen that if yet he had no Heauē to bestow he would neither appeare lesse amiable nor be lesse beloued of this generous louing heart who cannot Loue the Heauen of her Spouse but onely her Spouse of Heauen and who puts no lesse price vpon Caluarie while her Spouse is there crucified then vpon Heauen where he is glorified He that waighes one of the little bullets of S. Clare of Monte-falco finds it as heauie as all the three together So doth perfect Loue find God as amiable all alone as together with all the creaturs for as much as the creaturs are onely loued in God and for God 3. Soules in this degree of perfection are so thinne sowen that each of them are called their Mothers onely one which is the Diuine Prouidence and each of them is called the onely doue because she onely loues her mate she is termed perfect for that by loue she is made the same thing with the Soueraigne Perfection whence she may saie in a most humble truth I am not but for my beloued ād he is wholy turned towards me Now there is none saue the most Blessed Virgin our Ladie that is perfectly arriued at this hight of excellencie in the loue of her dearely beloued For she is a DOVE so singularly singular in Loue that all the rest being compared to her are rather to be termed Dawes then Doues But let vs leaue this Peerelesse Queene in her matchlesse eminencie There haue yet bene other soules that haue found themselues so happie in the state of this pure loue that in comparison of their companiōs they might take the ranke of QVEENES of onely DOVES of perfect FRIENDS of the SPOVSE For I praie you THEO in what degree must he needes haue bene who from his very heart sung to God To what in Heauen but thee can I aspire Or what in earth but thee can I desire And he that cried out I doe esteeme all things as dung that I may gaine IESVS CHRIST did he not testifie that he loued nothing out of his Maister and that out of all things he drew arguments of his Maisters Loue And what could be the feeling of that great Louer who sighed all the night my God is my all Such was S. AVGVSTINE S. BERNARD the two S. Catharins of Sienna and Genua and diuers others by whose imitation euery one may aspire to this diuine degree of Loue. O rare and singular soules which resemble not at all the birds of this world no not the Phenix her selfe though so singularly rare but are onely represented by the bird who for her excellent beautie and noblenesse is saied not to be of this world but of Paradice whereof she beares the name for this daintie bird disdaining the earth doth neuer touch it but liues aboue in the aire yea euen when
and fantomes of pleasurs for which we cast off the loue of the heauenly Spouse And how can we then truely saie that we loue him since we preferre so friuolous vanities before his grace 5. Is it not a deplorable wonder to see a DAVID so noble in surmounting hatred so generous in pardoning iniuries and yet so impotently iniurious in mater of Loue that not being satiated with the vniust detaining of a number of wiues he must needes yet wrongfully vsurpe and take away by rape the poore Vrias his wife Yea and by an insupportable treacherie put to slaughter her poore husband that he might the better enioye the Loue of his wife Who would not admire the heart of a SAINT PETER which was so brauely bold amidst the armed soldiers that he of all his Maisters troupe was the first and onely man that drew and layed about him and yet a little after so cowardly amongst vnarmed women that at the worde of a wench he denied and detested his Maister And how can it seeme so strange to vs that Rachel could sell the chast embracements of her Iacob for Aples of the Mandragore since that Adame and Eue forsooke euen grace for an Aple and that too presented by a Serpent 6. In fine I will tell you a word worthy of note Heretikes are Heretikes aÌ„d beare the name of such because of the Articles of Faith they choose at their gust and pleasure what likes them best and those they beleeue reiecting and disauowing the others And Catholiks are Catholiks because without choice or election at all they embrace with an equall assurance and without reserue all the faith of the Church Now it happens after the same manner in the Articles of Charitie It is an herasie in sacred loue to make choice of Gods Commandements which to obserue and which to violate He that saied thou shalt not kill saied also thou shalt not commite adulterie It is not then for the loue of God that thou killest not but it is some other motiue that makes thee rather choose this commandement then the other A choice that hatcheth heresie in matter of Charitie If one should tell me that he would not cut my arme out of a loue to me and yet would pull out myne eyes breake my head or ruÌ„ne me quite through ah should I saie with what face can you tell me that it is in respect of my Loue that you wound not myne arme since you make no difficultie to pull out myne eyes which are no lesse deare vnto me yet since you ruÌ„ne me quite through the bodie with your sword which is more perilous for me It is an Axiome that good comes from an entire cause but euill from each defect That the act of Charitie be perfect it must proceede from an entire generall and vniuersall Loue which is extended to all the Diuine Commandements And if we faile in any one CommandemeÌ„t loue ceaseth to be entire and vniuersall and the heart wherein it harbers cannot be truely called a louing heart nor consequently a truly good one That we are to Loue the Diuine Goodnesse soueraignely more then our selues CHAPTER X. 1. Aristotle had reason to saie that GOOD is indeede amiable but principaly euery ones proper good to himselfe so that the Loue which we haue to others proceedes from the loue of our selues for how could a Philosopher saie otherwise who did not onely not Loue God but hardly euen euer spoke of the Loue of God howbeit the Loue of God doth preceede all the Loue of our selues yea euen according to the naturall inclination of the will as I declared in the first booke 2. Certes the will is so dedicated and if we may so saie consecrated to goodnesse that if an infinite goodnesse were clearely proposed vnto it vnlesse by miracle it is impossible that it should not soueraignely loue it yea the Blessed are rauished and necessitated though yet not forced to loue God whose soueraigne beautie they clearely see which the Scripture doth sufficiently shew in coÌ„paring the contentment which doth fill the hearts of the happie inhabitants of the heauenly Hierusalem to a torrent or impetuous floode whose waters cannot be kept from spreeding ouer the neighbour plaines 3. But in this mortall life THEO we are not necessitated to loue soueraignly because we see him not so clearely In Heauen where we shall see him face to face we shall loue him heart to heart that is wheÌ„ we shall all see the infinitie of his beautie euery one in his measure with a soueraignely cleare sight so shall we be rauished with the loue of his infir it goodnesse in a soueraignely strong rauishment to which we neither would if we could nor can if we would make any resistance But here belowe when we behold not this Soueraigne Bountie aÌ„d Beautie but onely enter view it in our obscurities we are indeede inclined and allured yet not necessitated to Loue more then our selues but rather the contrarie and albeit we haue a holy naturall inclination to loue the Diuinitie aboue all things yet haue we not the strength to put it in execution vnlesse the same Diuinitie infuse holy charitie supernaturally into our heart's 4. Yet true it is that as the cleare view of the Diuinitie doth infallibly beget in vs a necessitie of louing it more then our selues so the enterview that is the naturall knowledge of the Diuinitie doth produce infallibly an inclination and pronenesse to loue it more theÌ„ our selues for I praie you THEOT since the will is wholy addicted to the loue of GOOD how can it in any degree know a soueraigne GOOD without being more or lesse inclined to loue it soueraignely Now of all the Good 's which are not infinite our WILL willeth alwayes in her affection that which is nighest to her but aboue all her owne But there is so little proportion betwixt an infinite and finite GOOD that our will hauing knowledge oâ— an infinite GOOD is without doubt put in motion inclined and incited to prefere the friendshipe of the Abisse of this infinite goodnesse before all other loue yea euen the loue of our selues 5. But principally this inclination is strong because we are more in God then in our selues we liue more in him then in our selues and are in such sort from him by him for him and to him that we cannot in very deede hit of what we are to him and he is to vs but we are forced to crie out I am thyne Lord and am to belong to none but to thee my soule is thyne and ought not to liue but by thee my will is thyne and ought not to loue but for thee my Loue is thyne and is onely to tend to thee I am to loue thee as my first PRINCIPLE sith I haue my beeing from thee I am to loue thee as myne end and Center since I am for thee I am to loue thee more then myne owne being seeing eueÌ„ my Bâ—EING doth sublist by thee I am to loue
1. AS Loue rends towards the Good of the thing beloued either by taking delight in it being obtained or in desiring and pursuing it not being obtained So it brings forth hatred by which it flies the euill which is contrarie to the thing beloued either in desiring and striuing to be quit of it being alreadie present or in absence by essaying to diuert and hinder its approch But if euill can neither be hindred to approch nor be remoued loue at least leaues not to make it be hated and detested When loue therefore is seruent and is come to that hight that it would take away remoue and diuert that which is opposite to the thing beloued it is termed Zeale So that in proper speach Zeale is no other thing then loue in its ardour or rather the ardour that is in loue And therefore such as the loue is such is the Zeale which is in ardour If the loue be good the Zeale is Good if bad the Zeale is also bad Now when I speake of Zeale I meane to speake of iealousie too for iealousie is a SPECIES of Zeale and vnlesse I be deceiued there is but this onely difference betweene them That Zeale hath a respect to all the Good of the thing beloued with intention to remoue the contrarie euill from it but iealousie eyes the particular good of friendshipe to th' end it might repulse all that doth oppose it 2. When therefore we ardently set our affections vpon earthly and temporall things beautie honours riches Place That Zeale that is the ardour of that Loue ends ordinarily with enuie because these base and vile things are so little limited particular finite and imperfect that being possessed by one another cannot entirely possesse them So that being communicated to diuers each one in particular hath a lesse perfect communication of them But when we loue in particular to be ardently beloued the Zeale or ardour of this Loue turnes into Iealousie because humane friēdshipe though otherwise a vertue hath this imperfection by reason of our weaknesse that being diuided amongst many euery ones part it lesse Wherevpon the ardour or Zeale we haue to be beloued will not permit corriualls and companions which if we apprehend we haue we presently fall into the passion of Iealousie which indeede doth in some sort resemble enuie yet is farre an other thing 1. Enuie is alwayes vniust but iealousie is sometimes iust so that it be moderate for haue not such as are married good reason to looke that an others shareing with them doe not cause their friendship's decrease Enuie makes vs sorrowfull that our neighbour enioys a like or a greater good then we though he diminish not that which we haue one iot But iealousie is in no wise troubled at our neighbours good so it touch not vpon our coppie-hold for the Iealous man would not be sorrie that his companion should be beloued of others so it were not of his owne Mistresse Yea properly speaking a man is not iealous of Competitours till he apprehend that he himselfe hath alreadie atchiued the friendshipe of the partie beloued And if there be any passiō that preceedes this it is not iealousie but enuie 3. We doe not presuppose any imperfection in the partie we enuie but quite contrarie we apprehend that he hath the good which we doe enuie in him Marry we presuppose that the partie whereof we are iealous is imperfect fickle subiect to corruption and change 4. Iealousie proceedes from loue enuie comes from the defect of Loue. 5. Iealousie neuer happens but in matter of Loue but enuie is extended to all the subiects of good to honours to fauours to beautie And if at any time one be enuious of the affection which is borne to another it is not for loue but for the profit that is in it The Enuious man is not a whit troubled to see his fellow in grace with his Prince so that he be not in occurrences gratified and preferred by him That God is Iealous of vs. CHAPTER XIII 1. GOd saieth thus I am thy Lord thy God a iealous God Our Lord is called Iealous God is iealous then THEO but what is his iealousie verily vpon the first sight it seemes to be a iealousie of Concupiscence such as is a husbands ouer his wife for he will haue vs so to be his that he will in no sort haue vs to be any others but his No man saieth he can serue two Maisters He demands all our heart all our soule all our spirit all our strength for this very reason he is called our spouse our soules his Spouses And all sorts of separations from him are called fornication Adulterie And indeede it is high reason that this great God singularly good should most entirely exact our whole heart for our heart is but little and cannot store vs with loue enough worthily to loue the Diuine Goodnesse is it not therefore conuenient that since we cannot afford him such a measure of Loue as were requisite that at least we should afford him all we are able The GOOD that is soueraignely louely ought it not to be soueraignely loued and to loue soueraignely is to loue totally 2. Howbeit Gods iealousie of vs is not truely a iealousie of concupiscence but of SOVERAIGNE FRIENDSHIPE for it is not his profit that we should loue him but ours Our loue is vnprofitable to him but to vs gainefull and if it be agreeable to him it is because it is profitable to vs For being the Soueraigne GOOD he takes pleasure to communicate himselfe by loue without any kind of profit that can returne to him thereby whence he cries out making his complaint of sinners by way of iealousie They haue forsaken me me that am the fountaine of liuing water and haue digged vnto themselues Cisterns broken Cisterns that are not able to hold water marke a little THEO I praie you how this Diuine Louer doth delicatly well expresse the nobilitie and generositie of his Iealousie they haue left me saieth he me that am the Source of liuing water I complaine not that they haue forsaken me in respect of any damage that their reuoult can draw vpon me for what worse is a liuing spring that men will not draw water at it will it therefore leaue to glide and slide ouer the earth but I am sorrie for their misfortune that hauing left me they haue busied themselues about wells without water And if by supposition of an impossible thing they could haue light vpon some other fountaine of liuing water I should easily endure their departure from me since I pretend nothing in their loue but their owne good but to forsake me to perish to flie from me to fall headlong is that which doth astonish and offend me in their follie It is then for the loue of vs that he desires that we should loue him because we cannot cease to loue him but we begin to be lost nor withdraw any part of our affection from him but we
loue that should spring vp amongst the brambles and repugnances of a harsh and drie nature would be more braue and glorious and withall more delightfull and gracious like to the other 4. It imports not much then whether one haue a naturall inclination to loue when supernaturall loue is handled by which one works onely supernaturally Onely this THEO I would willingly crie out to all men ô mortalls if you haue hearts addicted to loue alas why doe you not pretend celestiall and Diuine Loue But if you be harsh and hard hearted alas poore peopâ—â— sith you are depriued of naturall Loue why doe you not aspire to supernaturall Loue which shall be louingly bestowed on you by him who so holily calls you to loue him That we are to haue a continuall desire to loue CHAPTER II. 1. LAy vp treasures in heauen one treasure is not sufficient to the liking of this Diuine Louer but he desires we should haue it in such aboundance that our treasure should be coÌ„posed of many treasures that is to saie THEO that we are to haue an insatiable desire of Louing God adding continually loue vpon loue What is it that doth so much presse the Bees to encrease their honie but the loue they beare to it ô heart of my soule who art created to loue the infinite good what loue canst thou desire but this loue which is the most to be desired of all loues Alas ô soule of my heart what desire canst thou loue but the most louely of all desires ô Loue of sacred desires ô desires of holy Loue ô how much haue I desisired to desire your perfections 2. The disgusted sickman hath no appetite to eate yet hath he an appetite to haue an appetite he desires no meate yet he desires to haue a desire THEO to know whether we loue God aboue all things is not in our power vnlesse God himselfe reueale it vnto vs yet we may easily know whether we desire to loue him aÌ„d perceiuing the desire of holy loue in vs we know that we begin to loue It is our seÌ„suall aÌ„d animall part which couets to eate but it is our reasonable part that desires this appetite and because the sensuall part doth not alwayes obeye the reasonable part it happens that we desire an appetite and yet haue it not 3. But the desire of louing and loue depend both of the same will Wherefore as soone as we haue framed a desire of louing we begin to haue some Loue and euer as this desire encreaseth loue also encreaseth He that desires Loue ardently shall shortly loue with ardour ô God THEO who will make vs so happie as that we may burne with this desire which is the desire of the poore and the preparation of their heart whom God doth willingly heare He that hath no assurance to loue God is a poore man and if he desire to loue him he is a beggar but a beggar in that bleessed beggarie of which our Sauiour hath saied Blessed are the poore of spirit for theirs is the kingdome of Heauen 4. Such an one was S. AVGVSTINE when he cryed out ô to loue ô to walke ô to die to a mans selfe ô to come to God! Such S. FRANCIS his saying let me die of thy Loue ô thou friend of my heart who hast daigned to die for my Loue Such S. CATHARINE of GENVA and S. TERESA when as spirituall Does panting and dying with the thirst of Diuine Loue they sighed out this voice ah Lord giue me this water 5. Temporall couituousnesse by which we doe greedily desire earthly riches is the roote of all euill but spirituall auarice whereby one doth incessaÌ„tly sigh after the pure gold of Diuine Loue is the roote of all good He that doth desire to Loue well doth search it well and he that doth search it well doth find it well and he that hath found it out he hath found the source of life whence he shall draw the saluation of our Lord. Let vs crie night and day THEO come ô holy Ghost fill the hearts of thy faithfull and kindle in them the fire of thy Loue. ô heauenly Loue when wilt thou fill my soule That to haue the desire of saâ—red Loue we are to cut of all other desires CHAPTER III. 1. VVHy doe hounds thinke you THEO more ordinarily loose the sent or straine of the game they runne in the spring time then in other times it is as the Hunters and Philosophers saie because the grasse and floures are then in their vigour so that the varietie of smells which they send out doth so fill the hounds sense of smelling that they can neither take nor follow the sent of their game amongst so sundrie â—ents which the earth doth euaporate Certes those soules that doe abound still in desires designes and proiects doe neuer desire the holy celestiall loue as they ought nor can perceiue the delightfull straine and sent of the Diuine beloued who is compared to the Roe or to the little Faune of the Do. 2. Lilies haue no season but growe soone or late as they are deeper or lesse deepe set in the ground for if they be thrust three fingers onely into the ground they will presently florish but if they be put 6. or 9. fingers into the earth they come vp later proportionably If the heart that pretends Diuine Loue be deeply engaged in terreane and temporall affaires it will bud late and with difficultie But if it haue onely so much to doe with the world as its condition requires you shall see it blosome timely in Loue and send out a delicious odour 3. For this cause the Saints betooke themselues to deserts that being freede from worldly solicitudes they might more ardently bestowe themselues in the exercise of holy Loue Hence the sacred Spouse shut the one of her eyes to th'ed that she might fixe the sight of the other alone more setledly and withall aime more directly at the very midst of her Beloued's heart which she desires to wound witâ— loue And for this same reason she keepes her haire so plaited and foulded together in tresses that she seemes to haue one onely haire which she makes vse off as of a chaine to bind and beare away her Spouse his heart whom she makes a slaue to her Loue. 5. They that desire for good and all to loue God shut vp their vnderstanding from worldly discoursâ—s to imploye it more feruently in Diuine meditations and doe gather vp all their pretentions into that onely one pretention of onely louing God Whosoeuâ—r he be that desires any thing which he desires not for God doth in that lesse desire God 5. A Religious man dâ—manded of B. Giles what he could doe most gratefull to God and he answâ—red him by singing one to one that is one onely soule to one onely God So many desires and Loues in our heart are as many children vpon one dâ—gge who while they can not all sucke at once they thrust to it now one
hath conâ—racted with his wheÌ„ by the impositioÌ„ of my haÌ„ds he receiued the Caracter of Episcopall dignitie to the great happinesse of the Diocese of Belley and to the honour of the Church besids a thousand bands of a sincere friendshipe which tyes vs together permits me not to speake with credit of his workes amongst which this Parenetique of Diuine Loue was one of the first sallies of the incomparable fulnesse of wit which euery one admires in him Further we doe see a goodlie and magnificeÌ„t Pallace which the R. Father Laurence Paris a Capucine Preacher erected in the honour of heauenly Loue which being finished will be a compleat course of the Art of louing well And lastly the B. Mother Teresa of IESVS hath written so accuratly of the sacred motions of Loue in all the bookes she hath left vs that a man is astonished to see so much eloquence masked in so profound humilitie so great soliditie of wit in so great simplicitie and her most learned ignorance makes the knowledge of many learned men appeare ignorant who after a great tormoile in studies blushe not to vnderstand that which she so happily puts downe touching the practise of holy Loue. Thus doth God raise the Throne of his Power vpon the Theather of our infirmitie making vse of weake things to confound the strong And be it my deare Reader that this Treatise which I now present come farre short of those excellent workes without hope of euer coÌ„ming nigh theÌ„ yet haue I such confidence in that paâ—re of heauenly Louers to whom I dedicate it that it may be some wayes seruiceable vnto thee and that there thou shalt meete with many wholsome coÌ„siderations which thou shouldst not else where so easily find as againe thou maist els where find many rare things which are not here Yea me thinkes my designe fals not in with theirs saue in generall in so much as the glorie of Diuine Loue is all our aimes But this you shall know by reading it Truly myne intention was onely simply and nakedly with art or varnish to represent the Historie of the Birth progresse decaye operations proprieties aduantages and excellencies of heauenly Loue. And if besids all this thou findest somwhat else they are certaine superfluities which are hard for such an one as my selfe who write amidst many distractioÌ„s to auoyd Howbeit I hope nothing therin shall be without some profit Nature her selfe who is so skilfull a work woman proiecting the production of grapes produceth withall as by a certaine prudent inaduertance such an abundance of leaues and vine-branches that there are very few vines which are not in the season to be pruined and cut Writers often are handled to harshly the Censures that are made of them being precipitated ordinarily with more impertinencie then they practised imprudence in taking vpon them to publish their writings Precipitation of iudgment doth greatly endaÌ„ger the Iudges coÌ„science and the innocencie of the Accused Diuers doe write foolishly and diuers also doe censure grosly The sweetnesse of the Reader makes his reading sweete and profitable And my deare Reader to haue thee more fauourable I will here render thee a reason of some passages which might peraduenture otherwise put thee out of humour Some peraduenture may apprehend that I haue saied too much aÌ„d that it was not requisite to bring downe the discourse euen from its heads But I am of opinion that heauenly Loue is a Plant like to that which we call Angelica whose roote is no lesse odoriferous then the bole and branches The 4. first bookes and some chapters of the rest might without doubt haue bene omitted to the liking of such soules as onely seake the practise of holy Loue yet all of it will be profitable vnto them if they behold it with a deuote eye While others also might haue disliked not to haue had the whole continuance of that which belongs to the Treatise of Diuine Loue. Certes I tooke as I ought into my consideration the condition of the wits of this age wherein we are It doth much import one to know in what Age he writs I cite the Scripture sometimes in other termes then are found in the vulgar Edition O good God my deare Reader doe me not therefore the wrong to thinke that I would goe from that Edition ah no for I know the Holy Ghost hath authorised it by the Holy Councell of Trent and that therefore all of vs ought to stick to it but contrariwise I make no other vse of the other versions but onely to serue this when they explicate and confirme the true sense therof For example That which the heauenly Spouse saieth to his Spouse THOV HAST WOVNDED MY HEART is wonderfully cleared by the other version THOV HAST TAKEN AWAY MY HEART or THOV HAST SNACHED AWAY AND RAVISHâ—D MY HEART That which our Sauiour saieth BLESSED ARE THE POORE OF SPIRIT is much amplified and declared by the Greeke BLESSED ARE THE BEGGARS OF SPIRIT and so of others I haue often cited the sacred Psalmist in verse and it was done to recreate thy mind and through the facilitie which I found in it by reason of the sweete translation of Philipe de Portes Abbot of Tiron which notwithstanding I haue not precisely followed yet not out of any hope I had to be able to doe better then this famous Poet. For I should be too impertinent if neuer hauing so much as thought of this kind of writing I should pretend to be happie in it in an age and condition of life which would oblige me to retire my selfe from it in case I had euer bene engaged therein But in some places where the sense might be diuersly taken I followed not his verse because I would not follow his sense as in the Ps 132. where he hath taken a latin word for the fringe of the garment which I apprehended was to be taken for the coler wherevpon I translated it to myne owne mind I haue saied nothing which I haue not learn't of others yet it is impossible for me to remember wheÌ„ce I had euery thing in particular But beleeue it if I had drawen any great peeces of remarke out of any Authour I would make a conscience not to let him haue the deserued honour of it and to deliuer you of a suspition which you may conceiue against my sinceritie in this behalfe I giue you to know that the 13. Chap. of the 7. booke is extracted out of a Sermon which I made at Paris at S. IOHN'S in Greue vpon the feast of the Assumption of our B. Ladie 1602. I haue not alwayes expressed how one Chapter followes another but if you marke you will easily find the connection In that and diuers other things I had a care to spare myne owne labour and your patience After I had caused the IntroductioÌ„ to a deuote to life be printed my Lord Archbishope of Vienna Peter villars did me the fauour to unite his opinion of it in termes
instructed in the truth made resistance against this so much desired establishment his Highnesse surmounted the first difficultie by the inuincible constancie of his Zeale to the Catholike Religiō and the secōd by an extraordinarie sweetnesse and prudence For he made the chiefe ād most obstinate be called together ād made a speach vnto thē with so louely ād pressing an eloquence that in a māner being all vanquished by the gētle violēce of his fatherly loue towards thē deposed the armes of their obstinacie at his feete and their soules into the hands of the Church Licence me my deare Reader I praye thee to speake this worde by the by one might praise many rich actions of this great Prince amongst which I see the proofe of his vnspeakable valour and militarie knowledge which he makes now admired through all Europe But for my part I cannot sufficiently extoll the establishment of the Catholike Religion in these three Bailiwikes which I haue euen now mentioned hauing discouered in it so many markes of pietie suted with so great a varierie of actiōs of Prudēce Cōstancie Magnanimitie Iustice and mildnesse Me thought I discerned in this little Peece as in an abridgment all that is praised in Princes who haue in times past with most feruour striuen to aduance Gods an the Church her glorie The stage was but little but the actions long And like as that auncient Artist was neuer so much prized for his great Peeces as he was admired for making a shipe of Yuorie stored with all her furniture in so little a forme that the wings of a bee did couer it So I esteeme more that which this great Prince did at that time in this small corner of his Dominions then many more specious actions which others extoll to the heauens Now by this meanes the victorious ensignes of the Crosse were replanted in all the wayes and publicke places of those quarters ād whereas a little before there had bene one erected very solemnely at Ennemassa neare vnto Geneua a certaine Minister made a little treatise against the honour therof containing a sharpe and venimous inuectiue to which therefore it was deemed fit to make answere And my Lord Claudius de Granier my Predecessour whose memorie is in benediction did impose the burthen vpon me according to the power which he had ouer me who beheld him not onely as my Bishope but also as a holy seruant of God I made therefore this answere vnder this Title A Defence of the Banner of the Crosse and dedicated it to his Highnesse partly to testifie vnto him my most humble submission and partly to render him some small thanksgiuing for the care which he tooke of the Church in those parts Now a while agoe this Defence is reimprinted vnder the prodigious tittle of PANTHALOGIE or Treasure of the Crosse a Title whereof I neuer dream't as in truth I am not a man of that studie and leasure nor yet of that memorie to be able to put together so many peeces of worth in one booke as it might beare the name of TREASVRE or PANTHALOGIE besids that I abhorre such insolent Frontispices A Sot or senselesse Creature we him call VVho makes his Portall greater then his Hall In the yeare 1602. the obsequies of the Magnanimous Prince Philipe Emanuel of Loraine Duke of Mercurie who had done so many braue exploits vpon the Turke in Hungarie that all Christianitie was bound to conspire to honour his memorie were celebrated at Paris I being there But aboue all the rest Lady Marie of Luxembourg his widowe did for her part all that her heart and the Loue of the dead could suggest vnto her to solemnize his funeralls And because my Father my Grand Father and great Grand Father had bene brought vp Pages to the most illustrious and most excellent Princes of Martigues his Father and Predecessours she eyed me as an hereditarie seruant of the house and made choice of me to make the funerall Sermon in this so great a celebritie where there were not onely diuers Cardinalls and Prelats but certaine Princes also Princesses Marshalls of France knights of the Order yea and the Court of Parleament in Bodie I made then this funerall Sermon and pronounced it in this so great an assemble in the great Church of Paris And for so much as it contained a true abridgment of the heroicall feats of the deceased Prince I did easily cause it to be imprinted at the request of the widowe-Princesse whose request was to me a law Now I dedicated that Peece to Madame the Duchesse of Vandome as yet a girle and a very young Princesse yet one in whom was alreadie apparently seene the straines of that excellent vertue and pietie which at this day shine in her worthy of the extraction and and breeding of so denote and pious a mother While this Sermon was in the presse I heard that I was made Bishope so that I came presently hither to be consacrated and to begin my Residence and vpon it was proposed vnto me how necessarie it was to aduertise the Confeslariouses of some important points for this reason I wrote 25. aduertisments which I caused to be printed to get them more esily dispersed amongst those to whom I directed them but since they haue bene reimprinted in diuers places Three or foure yeares after I put out the Introduction to a deuote life vpon the occasion and in the manner which I haue put downe in the Preface thereof touching which I haue nothing to saie to thee my deare Reader saue onely that though this little booke haue generally had a gracious and gentle acceptance yea euen amongst the most graue Prelats and Doctours of the Church yet escaped it not the rude censure of some who did not meerely blame me but bitterly taunted me in publicke for that I tell Philothe that dauncing is an action indifferent in it selfe and that for recreations sake one may make Quodlibets and I kowing the manner of these censures I praise their intention which I thinke was good Yet should I haue desired that they had pleased to haue considered that the first proposition is drawen out of the cōmon and true doctrine of the most holy and learned Diuines which I put downe for such as liue in the world and Court that withall I doe carefully incultate the extreame dangers which are foūd in dauncing and touching the second proposition it is not myne but that admirable king's S. Lewis a Doctour worthy to be followed in conducting Courtiers to a deuote life For I beleeue if they had weighed this their Charitie and discretion had neuer permitted their Zeale how rigorous and austere soeuer to haue armed their indignation against me And to this purpose my deare reader I coniure thee to be gracious and fauorable vnto me in reading this Treatise and though thou shouldst find the style a little and a little onely I assure my selfe it shall be different from that which I vsed in writing vnto
A wonderfull historie of the death of a gentleman who died of Loue vpon the Mount-Oliuet chap. 12. pag 435. That the Sacred Virgin mother of God died of the loue of her Sonne chap. 13. 441 That the Glorious virgin died of an extreamely sweete and calme loue chap. 14. 445 THE TABLE OF THE Eight Booke OF THE LOVE OF CONFORMITIE by which we vnite our Wills to the Will of God signified vnto vs by his Commandements Counsells and inspirations OF the loue of Conformitie proceeding from holy Complacence chap. 1. pag. 451 Of the conformitie of Submission which proceedes from the Loue of Beneuolence ch 2. 455 How we are to conforme our selues to the Diuine will which is called the signified will chap. 3. 458 Of the Conformitie of our will to the will which God hath to saue vs. ch 4. 462 Of the Conformitie of our will to Gods will signified in his Commandements chap. 5. 465 Of the Conformitie of our will to Gods signified vnto vs by his Counsells chap. 6. 469 That Gods will signified in the commandements doth moue vs forwards to the loue of Counsells chap. 7. pag. 472. That the contempt of Euangelicall Counsells is a great sinne chap. 8. 478 A continuation of the precedent discourse how euery one ought to loue though not to practise the Euangelicall Counsells and yet how euery one is to practise what he is able chap. 9. 482 How we are to conforme our selues to Gods will signified vnto vs by inspirations and first of the truth of the meanes by which God enspires vs. chap. 10. 487 Of the vnion of our will to Gods in the inspirations which are giuen for the extraordinarie practise of vertues and of perseuerance in ones vocation the first marke of the inspiration chap. 11. 491 Of the vnion of Mans will to Gods in the inspirations which are contrarie to the ordinarie Lawes and of the peace and tranquillitie of heart the second marke of Inspiration chap. 12. 497 The third Marke of the Inspiration which is holy obedience to the Church and Superiours chap. 13. 501 A short methode to know Gods will chap. 14. 505 THE TABLE OF THE Ninth Booke OF LOVE OF SVBMISSION Whereby our will is vnited to Gods OF the vnion of our will to the will of God which is the will of good pleasure chap. 1. pag. 509 That the vnion of our will to the will of God is principally caused by tribulations chap. 2. 513 Of the vnion of our will to the Diuine will in spirituall afflictions by resignation chap. 3. 518 Of the vnion of our will to Gods will by Indifferencie chap. 4. 521 That holy indifferencie is extended to all things ch 5. 525 Of the practise of the louing indifferencie in things belonging to the seruice of God chap. 6. 528 Of the indifferencie which we are to haue in our Spirituall aduancement chap. 7. 533 How we are to vnite our will with Gods in the permission of sinne chap. 8. 539 How the puritie of indifferencie is practised in the actions of holy Loue. chap. 9. 542 A meanes to discouer when we chang in the matter of this holy Loue. chap. 10. 545 Of the perplexitie of the heart in Loue which doubts whether it please the Beloued chap. 11. 549 How the soule amidst these interiour anguishes knowes not the Loue she beares to God and of the Louely death of the will chap. 12. 553. How the will being dead to it selfe liues entirely to Gods will chap. 13. 557 An explanation of that which hath bene saied touching the decease of our will chap. 14. 561 Of the most excellent exercise a man can make in the interiour and exteriour troubles of this life In sequele of the indifferencie and death of the will chap. 15. 565 Of the perfect stripping of the soule vnited to Gods will chap. 16. 570 THE TABLE OF THE Tenth Booke OF THE COMMANDEMENT OF louing God aboue all things OF the sweetenesse of the Commandement which God gaue vs to loue him aboue all things ch 1. 5â—5 That this Diuine Commandement of Loue tends to Heauen yet is giuen to the faithfull in this world chap. 2 pag. 580. How notwithstanding that the whole heart is imployed in sacred Loue yâ—t one may Loue God diuersly and also many other things together with him chap. 3. 582 Of two degrees of perfection in which this Commandement may be kept in this mortall life chap. 4. 387 Of two other degrees of greater perfection by which we may Loue God aboue all things chap. 5. 592 That the Loue of God aboue all things is common to all Louers chap. 6. 598 An illustration of the former chapter chap. 7. 601 A memorable historie wherin is more clearely seene in what the force and ExcelleÌ„cie of holy loue consisteth cha 8. pag. 605. A confirmation of that which hath bene saied by a notable comparison chap 9. 612 That we are to Loue the Diuine Goodnesse soueraignely more then our selues chap. 10. 617 How holy Charitie brings forth the loue of our neighbour chap. 11. 620 How loue produceth Zeale chap. 12. 624 That God is Iealous of vs. chap. 13. 626 Of the Zeale or Iealousie which we haue towards our Sauiour chap. 14. 632 An aduise for the direction of holy Zeale chap. 15. 637 That the exaÌ„ples of diuerse saints which seemed to exercise their Zeale with Angâ—r make nothing against the aduise of the precedent Chapter chap. 16. 643 How our Sauiour practised all the most Excellent acts of Loue. chap. 17. 650 THE TABLE OF THE Eleauenth booke OF THE SOVERAIGNE AVTHORITIE whicâ— sacred loue holds ouer all the vertues actions and perfections of the soule HOw much all the vertues are aggreeable vnto God chap. 1. pag. 656 That Diuine Loue makes the vertues more agreeable to God by excellencie then they are in their owne nature chap 2. pag. 661 That there are some vertues which Diuine Loue doth raise to a higher degree of excellencie then others chap. 3. pag. 665 That Diuine Loue doâ—h yet more excellently sanctifie the vâ—rtues whiâ—h are pracitsed by his ordinance and Commanâ—ment chap. 4. pag 668 How sacred â—â—ue doth spread it's worth through all the o her vertues which by that meanes are â—erfected chap. 5 pag 972 Of the excâ—llent worth which holy Loue bestowes vpon the actions whi h issue from it selfe and to those which proceede from other vertu s. chap 6. pag 6â—â— That perfect vertues are neuer one without tâ—e other chap. 7. pag. 682 How Charitie containes all vertues chap 8. pag. 683 That vertues haue their worth from sacred Loue. ch 9. pag. 693 A digression vpon the imperfection of the Pagans vertues c ap 10. pag. 697 How humaine actions are without worth being without Gods Loue. chap. 11. pag 7â—4 How holy Loue returning into the soule doth reuiue alâ— the works w ich sinne had sl yne chap 12. â—09 How we are to reduce all the exercise of all the vertu s and all our actions to â—oly Loue chap
and Memorie for of the diuersitie of things which the Vnderstanding hath a power to vnderstand and the Memorie a power to remember the will doth determine those to which she will haue her faculties applie them selues or from which diuert themselues It is true she cannot manage or range them so absolutely as she doth the hands feete or tongue by reason of sensitiue faculties namely the Fantasie which doth not obaye the will with a prompt and infallible obedience which are necessarily required to the operations of the Vnderstanding and Memorie notwithstanding the will doth moue imploy and apply these faculties at her pleasure though not so firmely and constantly that the light and variable Fantasie doth not often diuert and distract them so that as the Apostle cries out I doe not the good which I desire but the euill which I hate so we are often compelled to thinke not the good which we loue but the euill which we hate How the will gouerns the sensuall appetite CHAPTER III. 1. THe Will then THEOTIME beares rule ouer the Memorie Vnderstanding and Fantasie not by force but by authoritie so that she is not infallibly obayed like as the Maister of the Familie is nor alwayes obayed by his children and seruants The like is touching the sensatiue appetite which as S. AVGVSTINE saieth is called in vs sinners concupiscence and remaines subiect to the will and Vnderstanding as the wife to her Husband because as it was saied to the woman Thou shalt returne to thy Husband who shall gouerne thee so was it saied to Cain that his appetite should returne home to him and that he should maister it And no other thing is ment by Returne to man then to submit and subiect it selfe vnto him O man saieth S. BERNARD it is in thy power if thou wilt to bring thine enemy so to be thy seruant that all things should succeede well with thee Thy appetite is vnder thee and thou shalt dominere ouer it Thy enemy can moue in thee the feeling of temptation but it is in thy power to giue or refuse consent In case thou permit thy appetite to carrie thee away to sinne then thou shalt be vnder it and it shall dominere ouer thee for whosoeuer sinneth is made slaue to sinne but before thou sinne so long as sinne getteth not entrie into thy consent but onely into thy sense that is to saie so long as it staies in the appetite not goeing so farre as thy will thy appetite is subiect vnto thee and thou Lord ouer it While an Emperour is not yet created he is subiect to the Electors Dominion in whose hands it is to reiect or elect him to the Imperiall dignitie but being once elected and eleuated by their meanes from thence they begin to be his subiects and he their Lord. So long as the will denies consent she presides but hauing once giuen consent she becomes slaue to her owne appetite 2. To conclude this sensuall appetite in plaine truth is a rebellious subiect seditious and stirring and we must confesse we cannot so defeate it that it doth not rise againe encounter and assault the reason yet hath the will such a strong hand ouer it that she is able if she please to bridle it breake it's designes and repulse it syth that not to consent to the suggestions therof is a sufficient repulse One cannot hinder concupiscence to conceiue yet well may we staie it from bringing foorth and accomplishing sinne 3. Now this concupiscence or sensuall appepetite hath 12. motions by which as by so many mutinous Captaines it raiseth sedition in man And because ordinarily they trouble the soule and disquiet the bodie in so much as they trouble the soule they are called perturbations in so much as they disquiete the bodie they are named passions as witnesseth S. AVGVSTINE All place before them selues Good or Euill that to atchiue it this to auoyde it If Good be considered in it selfe according to it 's naturall goodnesse it excites Loue the prime and principall passion If Good be represented as absent it prouokes a desire of it selfe it being desired we apprehend it possible it enters in vs a Hope if impossible Dispaire begins to sease vs. But when we enioie it as present it moues vs to ioie Contrariwise as soone as we discouer Euill we Hate it if it be absent we flie it if we propose it as ineuitable we Feare it if we think we can eschew it we doe emboulden and encourage our selues But if we feele it as present we Greeue and thē Anger and Indignation sodainely runnes out to resist and repulse the Euill or at least to be reuenged of it Which if it succeede not according to our mind we remaine in Griefe But if we repell or be reuenged of it we feele satisfaction and content which is a Pleasure of Triūphe for as the possessiō of Good doth glad the heart so the victorie ouer Euill doth satiate the courage And ouer all this multitude of sēsuall passiōs the will beares Empire reiecting their suggestiōs repulsing their embracements hindring their effects or at the very least stifly denying them consent without the which they can neuer endamage vs and by refusall of which they remaine vanquished yea euen a farre off weakned deiected defeated repressed and if not altogether slaine at least mortified and brought lowe 4. And THEOTIME this multitude of passions is permitted to reside in our soule for the exercise of our will in vertue and spirituall vallour In so much that the STOIKES who denied that passions were found in wise men did greatly erre and so much the more for that they shewed in effect that which in words they denied as S. AVGVSTINE shewes recounting this pleasant historie AVLVS GELIVS hauing embarked himselfe with a famous STOIKE a great tempest takes them whereat the STOIKE being affrighted begun to waxe white and Pale and sensibly to Tremble so that all in the boate perceiued it and tooke precise notice of him albeit they did runne the same hazard with him In the interim the sea waxed calme the danger passed and assurance did restore to eche of them Libertie to blame yea euen to raile at him A certaine voluptuous ASIATIKE gybed at the STOIKE and reproched vnto him his Feare which had made him become white and Pale by apprehension of danger whilst he for his part remained firme without Feare to which the STOIKE replyed by relation of that which ARISTIPPVS a SOCRATICAL Philosopher had answeared one who for the same reason had quipped him with the like reproch saying vnto him for thee thou hadst no reason to be troubled for the death of a wicked Rascall but I should haue wronged my selfe not to haue feared to loose the life of an ARISTIPPVS And the best of it is that AVLVS GELIVS an eye witnesse recites the storie but touching the STOIKES reply contained therin it did more commend his wit then his Cause sythens alleaging a companion of his Feares he left
these Motiōs were Affections of the Intellectuall or Resonable appetite not Passions of the Sensuall 2. How often doe we feele Passions in the sensuall appetite of desires contrarie to the Affectiōs which at the same time we perceiue in the Reasonable appetite or will The young man mentioned by S. HIEROME did fairely with his teeth cut of his tongue and spet it in the face of that accursed woman which inflamed him to carnalitie did he not testifie therby an extreame Affection of Displeasure in his will contrarie to that Passion of Pleasure which by force she made him feele in his Concupistible or sensible Appetite How often doe we tremble amidst the dangers to which our will brought vs and makes vs remaine How often doe we Hate the Pleasure wherin the sensuall appetite delightes it selfe and Loue the Spirituall good wherin it is disgusted In this confisteth the warre which we daiely experience betwixt the Spirit and Flesh betwixt our exteriour Man which depends of Sense and our interiour which depends of Reason betwixt the old Adam which followeth the appetits of his EVE or Concupiscence and the new Adam which doth second heauenly wisdome and holy Reason 3. The STOIKES as S. AVGVSTINE deliuers denying that a wise-man hath Passions doe confesse notwithstanding as may Appeare that he had affections which they termed EVPATHIES or Good Passions or else CONSTANCIES with CICERO for they saied the wiseman did not Couit but will onely was not Light of heart but Setledly ioyefull that he had no Feare but onely a Foresight and Precaution so that he was not moued but by Reason and according to Reason for this cause they peremptorily denied that a wise-man could euer be Sorrowfull that being caused by present Euill whereas no Euill can befale a wise-man syth that no man is hurt but by himselfe following their MAXIME And certes THEOTIME they did not amisse to holde that EVPATHIES or Good Affections reside in the Reasonable part of man but they erred much in auerring that there were no Passions in the Sensitiue part and that Sorrow did not touch a wisemans heart For omitting what they them selues had experienced in this behalfe as hath bene touched by this meanes they might conclud that wisdome might depriue one of Mercy which is a vertuous sorrow touching our hearts and working thē to a desire to deliuer our neighbour from the euill which he endureth Nor doth EPICTETES the best mā amongst the Pagās follow this errour that Passions doe not make Insurrections in a wiseman as S. AVGVSTINE doth witnesse showing further that the dissension of STOIKES and other Philosophers about this subiect was but a meere dissension in words and strife in language 4. Now the Affections which we feele in Our reasonable part are more or lesse Noble and Spirituall according as their Obiect is more or lesse Sublime and as they are in a more eminent degree of the mind for some of them proceede from the Discourse which we make following the Experience of Sense others are formed by a Discourse drawne from Humane Sciences others rising from a Discourse which is made according to Faith and finally there are some which haue their Origin from the simple Taste and Repose which the Soule hath in Veritie and the will of God The first are called Naturall affections For who is he that doth not naturally desire Health commoditie of Meate Drinke and Cloth Sweete and Agreeable conuersation The second are named Reasonable as being altogether founded vpon the spirituall Knowledge of Reason by which our will is excited to seeke the Tranquillitie of the minde morall Vertues true Honour a Philosophicall Contemplation of heauenly things The third sort of Affections are termed Christian because they issue from Discourse deriued from the Doctrine of our Sauiour Christ which causeth in vs a Loue of voluntarie Prouertie perfect Chastitie the Glorie of Heauen But the Affections of the supreeme degree are instiled Diuine and Supernaturall because God himselfe doth poure them into our hearts and they ayme at and tend to him without the helpe of any Discourse or naturall Light as it is easie to conceiue and we will hereafter speak of the Restes and gustes which are practised in the Sanctuarie of the soule And these supernaturall Affections are principally three the Loue of the mind towards the beautie of the mysteries of faith a Loue towards the profit of things promised vs in the other life and a Loue towards the soueraigne Bountie of the thrice holy and eternall Diuinitie How the Loue of God doth rule ouer other Loues CHAPTER VI. 1. THe will doth gouerne all the other faculties of mans Soule yet is she gouerned by her Loue which makes her such as he is Now of all loues that of God holds the Septer and hath a commanding authoritie so inseparably vnited vnto him and so proper to his nature that if he be not Maister he ceaseth to be and perisheth 2. ISMAEL was not Coheire with Isaac his younger brother ESAV was appointed to be his younger brothers seruant IOSEPH was not onely honoured by his brethren but euen by his Father yea and his Mother also in the person of BENIAMIN as by dreames in his youth he had foreseene Certes it is not voide of mysterie that the youngest of these brethren bore away the aduantage from the eldest Diuine Loue is truely the last begotten of all the Affections of mans heart For as the Apostle saieth that which is Naturall is first and that which is spirituall is after But this last borne inherites all the authoritie and Selfe-loue as an other ESAV is deputed to his seruice and not onely all the other motions of the Soule as his brethren doe adore and are subiect vnto him but also the Vnderstanding and will which are to him as Father and Mother All is subiect to this heauenlie Loue who will either be King or nothing who cannot liue but reigne nor reigne if not in a soueraigne manner 3. ISAAC IACOB and IOSEPH were supernaturall children For their Mothers SARA REBECCA and RACHEL being sterill by nature conceiued them by the grace of the Diuine Bountie and for this cause they were established Maisters of their brethren so diuine Loue is a child of miracle syth that mans will cannot conceiue it if it be not poured into our hearts by the holy Ghost And as supernaturall it must preside and reigne ouer all the affections yea euen ouer the Vnderstanding and will 4. And be it there are other supernaturall motions in the soule Feare Pietie Force Hope as ISAAC and BENIAMIN were Supernaturall children of RACHEL and REBECCA yet is diuine Loue still Maister Heire and Superiour as being the Sonne of promise syth that in vertue of it heauen is promised to man Saluation is showen to Faith prepared for Hope but is giuen onely to Charitie Faith points out the way to the Land of Promisse as a Pillar of cloudes and fire to wit CLEARDARKE Hope doth feede vs with
it cannot be a simple Complacence but must needes be a motion proceeding from it 8. Now this motion caused by Complacence dures till the Vnion or Fruition and therefore when it tends to a present Good it hath no other effect then to put forwards apply ioyne and look the heart to the thing beloued which by this meanes it enioyes and thervpon is called Loue of delight or Complacence because as soone as it is begotten of the first Complacence it ends in the second which it receiues in being vnited to it's obiect But when the Good towards which the heart is turned inclyned and moued is distant absent or that so perfect an vnion cannot yet be made as is desired then the motion of Loue by which the heart doth tend aspire and make towards this absent obiect is properly named Desire For desire is no other thing then an appetite lust and coueting of things aymed at but not yet obtained 9. There are yet certaine other motions of Loue by which we desire things that we neither hope for nor pretend in any sort as when we saie why am I not now in heauen I wish I were King I would to God I were Younger I wish I had neuer offended and the like These indeede are desires but imperfect ones which in proper speach as it seemes might de called wishes and indeede these affections are not expressed in manner of Desires for when we expresse our true Desires we saie I Desire but when we signifie our imperfect Desires we saie I should or I woud Desire we may well saie I would Desire to be young but we doe not saie I Desire to be young seeing that this is not possible and this motion is called a halfe Desire or as the Schoolemen terme it a Velleitie which is nothing elsse but the beginning of a Desire without effect for that the will perceiuing that she cānot attaine vnto that obiect by reason of impossibilitie or extreeme difficultie she stops her motion and ends it in this simple affection of Velleitie as though she should saie this Good which I behould and cannot Hope for is truely very agreeable vnto me and though I cannot will or Hope for it yet so my affection stands that if I could will or Desire it I would willingly Desire and will it 10. To be short these halfe conceiued Desires or Velleities are onely a little Loue which is called Loue of simple approbation because without all pretention the soule approues the Good she knoweth and wanting meanes to Desire it in effect she protesteth she would willingly Desire it and that it is truely to be Desired 11. Nor is this all THEOTIME for there are Desires and Velleities which are yet more imperfect then those we haue spoaken of for so much as their motions are not staied by reason of impossibilitie or extreeme difficultie but by the incompossibilitie they haue with other Desires or wishes more powerfull as when a sickeman Desires to eate MVSHROMES which though he haue at his will yet will he not for all that eate thē fearing therby to impare his Health ād who decernes not two Desires in this partie th' one to eate MVSHROMES th' other to be cured but because the Desire of Health is greater it doth block vp ād suffocate the other in such sort as it can produce no effect IEPHTE had a Velleitie to conserue his daughter but this not being compatible with a Desire he had to keepe his Vow he made an election contrarie to his Velleitie to wit to sacrifice his daughter and had a halfe wish or Velleitie of that which he desired not which was to conserue his daughter PILATE and HERODE had Velleities th' one to diliuer out SAVIOVR th' other his PRECVRSOR but because this was incompatible the one with a Desire to please the IEWES and CAESAR the other HERODIADAS and her daughter these wishes were vaine and fruitlesse Now according as the things incompatible with that which we would are lesse amiable the Velleities are lesse perfect syth they are stopped and as it were stifled by so weake opposits So the wish which HEROD had not to beheade S. IOHN was more imperfect then that of PILATS to free our SAVIOVR For the one feared the calumnie and indignation of the people the other to contristate one sole woman 9. The Velleities which are hindred not by impossibilitie but by incompatibilitie with stronger Desires are called indeede Desires but vaine stifled and vnprofitable ones Following the Velleitie of things impossible we saie I would but cannot And following the Velleitie of things possible we saie I wish but I will not VVhat that conueniencie is which doth excite loue CHAPTER VIII 1. VVE saie the eye seeth the eare heareth the tongue speaketh the vnderstanding discourseth the memorie remembreth the will loueth Sure t' is notwithstanding that it is the whole man to speake properly who by diuerse Faculties and different Organs workes all this varietie of operations man also then it is who by the affectiue Facultie named the will doth tend to and please himselfe in Good and who hath so great a sympathie with it as being the Source and Origine of Loue. But they did farre misse the marke who beleiued that Resemblance was the onely Conueniencie which produced Loue For who knowes not that crasie old men doe tenderly and dearely loue little infants and are reciprocally loued of them that the wise loue such as are ignorant if they finde them docile and the sick their Phisitions And if we may draw any argument from the image of Loue which is found in things without sense what resemblance can draw the Iron towards the Adamant hath not one Adamant more resemblance with an other or an other stone then with Iron of a diuerse kind and though some to reduce all Conueniencie to a Resemblance would assure vs that Iron drawes Iron and the Adamant the Adamant Yet are they to seeke for their reason why the Adamant doth more powerfully draw Iron then Iron doth Iron it selfe But I pray you what similitude is there betwixt Lime and water or betwixt water and a Sponge and yet both of them drinke water with a quenchlesse desire testifying an excessiue insensible Loue towards it T' is the like of humane loue For sometimes it takes more strongly amongst persons of contrarie qualitie then those who haue a great Resemblance Conueniencie then which causeth Loue doth not alwayes consist in Similitude but in the Proportion Reference and correspondance betwixt the Louer and the Beloued And to this effect it is not resemblance which moues the sickmans affection to the Doctour but a correspondance of the ones necessitie with the others sufficiencie for that the one can afford the assistance which the other stands in neede of as againe the Doctour loues the sickman knowing him to be his patient as vpon whom he hath power to exercise his facultie the olde man loueth children not by sympathie but for that the great simplicitie
one Soule THEOTIME and an indiuisible one but in that one Soule there are diuerse degrees of perfectioÌ„s for she is Liuing Sensible and Reasonable and according to these diuerse degrees she hath also diuerse Proprieties and Inclinations by which she is carried to the pursuite and Vnion of things For first we see the Vine doth hate as one would saie and flie the Colewort so that the one of them are pernicious to th' other and contrariwise is delighted in the Oliue so we perceiue a naturall contrarietie betwixt Men and Serpents in so much that a mans fasting spittle is to them mortall and contrariwise Man and Sheepe haue a wonderous conueniencie and doth delight the one in the other Now this inclination doth not proceede from any knowledge the one hath of the birth of his contrarie or of the profit of him with whom he doth sympathie but onely from a certaine secret and hidden qualitie which doth produce this insensible contrarietie and antipathie as also this complacence and sympathie 2. Secondly we haue in vs the Sensitiue appetite wherby we are moued to the inquirie and flight of diuerse things by meanes of the sensitiue knowledge we haue of them not vnlike to Cattell wherof one hath an appetite to one thing an other to an other according to the knowledge which they haue agreeable or disagreeable vnto theÌ„ and this appetite resides or from it floweth the Loue which we call Sensuall or Brutall which yet properly speaking ought not to be termed loue but simply be called appetite 3. Thirdly in so much as we are reasonable we haue a will by which we are carried to the inquirie of Good according as by discourse we know or iudge it to be such againe we manifestly discouer in our Soule as it is Reasonable two degrees of perfection which great S. AVGVSTINE and after him all the DOCTOVRS haue named the two portions of the soule Inferiour and Superiour of which that is called Inferiour which discourseth and deduceth consequences as she apprehendeth and experienceth by Sense and that Superiour which reasoneth and drawes consequences according to an Intellectuall knowledge not founded vpon the experience of sense but on the discretion and iudgement of the minde of spirit hence this superiour part is called the Spirit or the Mentall part of the soule as the Inferiour is termed commonly Sense feeling or humane reason 4. Now this Superiour part discourseth according to two sorts of lights that is either according to a Naturall light as the Philosophers and all those who discoursed by sciences did or according to a Supernaturall light as Diuins and ChristiaÌ„s so farre fourth as they establish their discourse vpon Faith and the reuealed word of God and more particular illustrations inspirations and motions from heauen This is that which S. AVGVSTINE saieth that by the superiour portion of the soule we adheare and applie our selues to the obseruance of the eternall lawe 5. IACOB extreamely pressed with want of domesticall necessaries sollicited Beniamin that he might be led away by his brethren into EGIPTE which yet he did against his proper liking as the sacred Historie witnesseth in which he testifieth two wills th' one Inferiour by which he grudged his departure the other Superiour by which he tooke resolution to part with him for the discourse which moued him to disaproue his departure was founded in the sensible pleasure he tooke in his presence and the displeasure he was to feele by his absence which are apprehensiue and sensible grounds but the resolution which he tooke to send him was grounded vpon a reason of state in his familie to prouide for future and approaching necessities ABRAHAM according to the Inferiour portion of his soule spoake words testifying in him a kind of diffideÌ„ce when the Angell announced vnto him the happie tidings of a Sonne doe you thinke that by a CENTENARIE a child may be begotten but according to his Superiour part he beleeued in God and it was reputed vnto him for Iustice According to his Inferiour part doubtlesse he was in great anguish when he had receiued command to sacrifice his Sonne but according to his Superiour part he resolued couragiously to sacrifice him 6. We also dayly experience in our selues diuerse Contraâ—â—â—ills A Father sending his Sonne either to Court or to his studies doth not denie teares to his departure testifying that though according to his Superiour part for the Childs aduaÌ„cemeÌ„t in vertue he wills his departure yet according to his Inferiour part he finds repugnance in the separation and though a Girle be married to her owne contentment and her Mothers yet with her benediction she receiues teares in such sort that though the Superiour will giue way to the departure yet the Inferiour showes resistance We must not hence inferre that a man hath two soules or two natures as the MANICHEANS dreamed no saieth S. AVGVSTINE in the 8. BOOKE OF HIS CONFESSIONS AND X. CHAP. but the will inticed by diuerse baits aÌ„d moued by diuerse reasoÌ„s seemes to be deuided in her selfe while she is diuersly drawen till making vse of her libertie she maketh choice of the one or the other for then the more efficacious Will surmounteth and gaining the day leaues the soule to resent the euill that the debate brought which we call remorce 7. But the example of our Sauiour is admirably vsefull in this behalfe and being considered it leaues no further doubt touching the distinctioÌ„ of the Superiour and Inferiour part of the soule for who amongst the Diuines knowes not that he was perfectly glorious from the instant of his Conception in his Virgin Mothers wombe and yet at the same time he was subiect to Sorrow griefe and afflictions of heart nor must we saie he suffred onely in bodie nor yet onely in soule as it was sensible or which is the saâ—â— thing according to sense for himselfe doth attest that before he suffered any exteriour torment or saw the Tormentour by him his soule was heauie euen to death For which cause he made his praier that the Cup of his Passion might be transported from him that is that he might be exempted from it in which he doth manifestly show the desire of the Inferiour portion of his soule which discoursing vpon the sad and anguishing obiects of his Passion prouided for him the liuely image whereof was represented to his Imagination he gathered by lawfull consequence the absence and want of these things which he demanded of his Father by which we clearely see that the Inferiour part of the soule is not the sensitiue degree of the same nor the Inferiour will the same with the Sensitiue appetite for neither the sensitiue appetite nor the Soule in so much as it is Sensitiue is capable of making any demand or praier these being acts of the Reasonable power and especially they are incapable of speach with God an obiect aboue the senses reach to make it knowen to the appetite but the same Sauiour hauing thus
similitude there is an incomparable correspondence betwixt God and man by reason of their reciprocall perfection not that God can receiue any perfection from man but because as man cannot be perfected but by the diuine Bountie so the diuine Bountie can scarcely so well exercise it's perfection out of it selfe as vpon our humanitie th' one hath great want and capicitie to receiue good th' other great abundance and inclination to bestow it nothing is so agreeable to pouertie as a liberall abundance nor to a liberall abundance as a needie pouertie and by how much the good is more abundant by so much more strong is the inclination to poure fourth and communicate it selfe By how much more the poore man is in want by so much greater is his appetite to receiue as an emptie thing to fill it selfe The concurrence then of abundance and pouertie is most sweete and agreeable nor could one almost haue discerned whether the abounding good hath a greater contentment in opening and communicating it selfe or the needie and indigent good in receiuing and drawing to it selfe if our Sauiour had not saied that there is a greater felicitie in giuing then in receiuing but where there is more felicitie there is more satisfactiō and therefore the diuine bountie receiues greater pleasure in giuing then we in receiuing 5. Mothers haue sometimes their breasts so fruitfull and abundant that they cannot containe but giue them some child to sucke and though the child draw the pappe with great ardour yet doth the Mother giue it more ardently the sucking child pressed by it's necessitie and the nourishing Mother pressed with her fecunditie 6. The sacred Spouse wished for the holy kisse of vnion ô saieth she let him deigne me a kisse of his mouth But is there Sympathie enough ô thou Beloued of the Beloued betwixt thee and thy heauēly Spouse to come to the vnion which thou desirest I quoth she giue me this kisse of vnion ô thou deare friend of my heart for thy dugges are better then wine though perfumed with excellent odours New wine works and boyles in it selfe by vertue of it's goodnesse and cannot be contained within the peece and thy dugges are yet better they presse thy breast with continuall shuttings pouring out their superabundant milke as wishing to be discharged of it and to draw the children of thy heart to sucke them they poure out a more powerfully drawing odour then all the odours of perfums so that THEOTIME we stand in neede of Gods abundance being poore and needie but Gods abundance hath no neede of our pouertie but by reason of the excellencie of his perfection and bountie Bountie which is not at all bettered by communication For it doth acquire nothing in pouring it selfe out of it selfe but contrariwise giues but our pouertie would remaine abiect and miserable if it were not enriched by the diuine abundance 7. Our soule then seeing that nothing can perfectly content her and that nothing the world can afforde is able to fill her capacitie considering that her vnderstanding hath an infinite inclination still to know more and her will an vnwearied appetite to search and loue good hath she not reason to crie out Ah I am not then made for this world There is a soueraigne good on which I depend an infinite workman who hath impressed in me this endlesse desire of knowing and this insatiable appetite and therfore I must tend and extend my selfe towards him to vnite and ioyne my selfe to his bountie to whom I appertaine and am Such is the sympathie betwixt God and mans soule That we haue a naturall inclination to loue God aboue all things CHAPTER XVI 1. IF there were any of that integritie ād originall iustice in which ADAM was created though otherwise not helped by any other assistance then that which he affordeth to all Creaturs in common to produce actions befitting their naturs they should not onely haue an inclination to loue God aboue all things but euen naturally they could put in execution that so iust an inclination for as this heauenly authour and Nature-maister doth cooperate and lend his strong hand to the fiers ascent to the waters course towards the sea to the earth's discent vnto the Center and it's abode there So hauing with his owne finger planted in mans heart a speciall naturall inclination not onely to loue good in generall but in particular and aboue all things to loue his diuine goodnesse which is better and more amiable then all things together The sweetnesse of his soueraigne prouidence required that he should cōtribute to the happie men of whom we speake as much helpe as should be necessarie to practise ād effect that inclinatiō And of one side this helpe should be naturall as being agreeable to nature and tending to the loue of God as he is authour and soueraigne Maister of nature and on th' other side it should be supernaturall because it would correspond not with mans pure nature but with nature adorned enriched and honoured by originall iustice which is a supernaturall qualitie proceeding from Gods speciall fauour But as touching loue aboue all things which should be exercised according to this helpe it should be called naturall because vertuous actions take their names from their obiects and motiues and this loue wherof we speake should tend onely to God as acknowledged to be Authour Lord ad soueraigne of euery creature by a naturall light onely and consequently to be amiable and estimable aboue all things by naturall propension and inclination 2. And although now our humane nature be not endewed with that health and originall Iustice which the first man had in his Creation and that contrariwise we are greatly depraued by sinne yet notwithstanding the holy inclination of of louing God aboue all things staies with vs as also the naturall light by which we see his soueraigne goodnesse more amiable then all other things and it is impossible that one thinking attentiuely vpon God yea euen by naturall discourse onely should not feele a certaine touch of loue which the secret inclination of our nature doth excite in the bottome of our hearts by which at the prime apprehēsion of this prime and soueraigne obiect the will is preuented and perceiues her selfe stirred vp to a complacence in him 3. It happens often amongst PARTRIDGES that one steals away an others egges with intention to sit them whether moued by a greedinesse to become Mothers or a stupiditie which makes them mistake their owne And behould a strang thing yet not without good testimonie the young one which was hatched and nourished vnder the winges of a strāger Partridge at her true Mothers first call who had laied the egge whence she was hatched quits the pilching Partridge renders her selfe to her first Mother and puts her selfe into her Couie by the correspondance which she hath with her first origine a correspondance notwithstanding which appeared not but remained secret shut vp and as it were put a sleepe in
the botton of nature till she met with her obiect which sodenly excited and in a sort awakened strikes the stroke and turnes the yong Partridge's appetite to her former dutie T is the like THEOTIME of our heart which though it be couied nourished and bred amongst corporall base and terreane things and in a manner vnder the winges of nature notwithstanding at the first view it takes of God vpon the first intelligence it receiues of him it 's Naturall and prime inclination to loue God which was dull and imperceptible doth waken in an instant and of a sodaine appears as a sparke from amongst the finders which touching our will lanceth her with Supreame loue dew vnto the Soueraigne and prime principale of all things That we haue not naturally the power to loue God aboue all things CHATPER XVII 1. THe Eagle hath a good heart and that seconded with a strong winge for flight yet hath she imcomparably more sight then winge and doth cast with quicker dispatch and in further distance her eye then her bodie so our soules animated with an holy naturall inclination towards the Diuinitie hath farre more light in her Vnderstanding to see how much it is amiable then force in her will to loue it in effect For sinne hath much more debilitated mans will then dimmed his Reason and the rebellion of the sensuall appetite which we call Concupiscence doth indeede disturbe the Vnderstanding but it is quite contrarie to the will stirring vp against it seditions and reuoults so that the poore will wholy infirme and shaken with continuall assaults which Concupiscence waigeth against her cannot make so great progresse in diuine Loue as Reason and Naturall inclination suggesteth that she ought to doe 2. Alas THEOTIME how faire arguments not onely of a great knowledge of God but also of a great inclination towards him haue those great Philosophers SOCRATES PLATO TRISMEGISTVS ARISTOTLE HIPPOCRATES SENECA EPICTETES left behind them SOCRATES the most laudable amongst them came to the cleare knowledge of the vnitie of God and felt in himselfe such an inclination to loue him that as S. AVGVSTINE witnesseth many were of opinion that he neuer had other ayme in teaching morall Philosophie then to purifie their witts for the better contemplation of the Soueraigne good which is the most indiuisible Diuinitie And for PLATO he doth sufficiently declare himselfe in his definition of Philosophie and of a Philosopher saying that to doe the part of a Philosopher is nothing else but to loue God and a Philosopher no other thing then A Louer of God What shall I saie of great ARISTOTLE who so efficaciously proues God's vnitie and spoake so honorably of it in diuerse occurrences 3. But ô eternall God! those great witts which had so great knowledge of the Diuinitie and so great a propension to loue it wanted all of them force and courage to loue it well indeede By visible things they came to the inuisible things of God yea euen to his eternall vertue and Diuinitie saieth the Apostle in so much as they are inexcusable as hauing knowne God and not hauing glorified him as God nor rendred him thankes Indeede they glorified him in some sort attributing vnto him the soueraigne Titles of honour yet did they not glorifie him as they ought that is they glorified him not aboue all things not hauing the heart to ruinate Idolatrie but cōmunicated with it detaining Veritie which they knewe prisoner by iniustice in their hearts and preferring the honour and vaine repose of their life before the honour due vnto God they vanished in their owne knowledge 4. Is it not great pitie THEOTIME to see SOCRATES as PLATO reports speake vpon his death-bed concerning the Gods as though there had bene many he knowing so well that there was but one onely Is' t not a thing to be deplored that PLATO who vnderstoode so clearely the truth of the Diuine vnitie should ordaine that sacrifice should be done to many Gods And is it not a lamentable thing that TRISMEGISTVS should so basely lament and plaine the abolishment of Idolatrie who in so many occasions had spoaken so worthily of the Diuinitie But aboue all I admire the poore good man EPICTETES whose words and sentences are so sweete in our tongue translated by the learned and faire Plume of the R. F. D. IOHN of S. FRANCIS Prouinciall of the Congregation of the FVLIANS in GAVLE not long agoe exposed to our view For what a pitie was it I pray you to see this excellent Philosopher speake of God some times with such gust feeling and Zeale that one would haue taken him for a Christian comming from some holy and profound meditation and yet againe at diuerse times mentioning the Pagan Gods Alas this good man who knewe so well the vnitie of God and had so much gust in his bountie why had he not a pious iealousie of the diuine honour to th' end not to flatter or dissemble in a matter of so great consequence 5. In somme THEOTIME our catiue nature disinabled by sinne is like our countrie Palme-trees which in deede make some imperfect productions and as it were essayes of fruite but to beare entire ripe and seasoned Dates is reserued for a better Climate for euen so certes mans heart doth naturally produce certaine Onsets of God's loue but to proceede so farre as to loue him aboue all things which is the fullnesse of loues grouth due vnto this Supreame goodnesse this is proper onely to hearts animated and assisted with heauenly grace being in the state of holy charitie and this little imperfect loue of whose touches nature in her selfe is sensible is but a will without will a will that would but will not a sterill will which doth not produce true effects a will sicke of the Palsie which seeth the healthfull Pond of holy Loue but hath not the strength to throw herselfe into it to conclude this will is an abortiue of the good will and hath not necessarie life and generous vigour to preferre God in effect before all things Whervpon the Apostle in person of the sinner cries out There is will in me but I find not the meanes to accomplish it That the naturall inclination which we haue to loue God is not without profit CHAPTER XVIII 1. BVt seeing we haue not power naturally to loue God aboue all things why haue we naturally an inclination to it Is not Nature vaine to incite vs to a Loue which she cannot bestow vpon vs Why doth she moue in vs a thirst of a precious water wherof she cannot make vs drinke Ah THEOTIME how good God was with vs the perfidiousnesse which we did commit in offending him deserued truely that he should haue depriued vs of all the markes of his beneuolence and of the fauour which he deigned to our nature when he imprinted vpon her the light of his diuine countenance and indued our hearts with a ioyfulnesse to perceiue themselues inclined to the loue of the diuine
hath left in man deepe markes of his anger yea euen a middest the graces of his Mercy as for example the necessitie of death sicknesse labours the rebellion of the sensualitie yet the Diuine Assistance hauing the vpper hand of all these takes pleasure to conuert these miseries to the greatest aduantage of such as loue him making Patience rise out of their trauailes the Contempt of the world out of the necessitie of death a thousand victories ouer Concupiscence and as the Rainebowe touching the Thorne ASPALATHVS makes it more odoriferous then the Lillie so our Sauiours Redemption touching our miseries makes them more profitable and amiable then Originall Iustice could euer haue bene The Angels in heauen saieth our Sauiour doe more ioy in one penitent sinner them in nintie nine iust and so the State of Redemption is an hundred times better then that of Innocencie Verily by being watered with our Sauiours Blood caused by the Isoppe of the Crosse we are reduced to a whitnesse incomparably more excellent then the snow of innocencie returning out of the Flood of health with NAMAN more pure and vnspotted as though we had neuer bene Leprous to th' end that the diuine Maiestie as he hath also ordained we should doe might not be ouercome by euill but ouercome euill by good that his Mercy as a sacred oyle might keepe aboue Iudgment and his commiseration surpasse all his workes Of certaine speciall fauours exercised by the diuine prouidence in the Redemption of man CHAPTER VI. 1. CErtainly God doth admirably show the riches of his incomprehensible power in this great varietie of things which we see in Nature Yet doth he make the Treasurs of his infinite Bountie more magnificently appeare in the incomparable varietie of benefits which we acknowledge in Grace For THEOTIME he was not content with the holy excesse of his Mercy in sending to his people that is to Mankind a generall and vniuersall Redemption by meanes wherof euery one might be saued but moreouer he diuersified it in so many sorts that his Liberalitie did shine amiddest that varietie and that varietie againe did mutually imbellish his Lliberalitie 2. And following this he first of all prepared for his most holy Mother a fauour worthy the loue of a Sonne who being most wise omnipotent and good was to prouide himselfe of a Mother to his liking and thefore he ordained that his Redemption should be applied to her by way of a preseruatiue to th' end that sinne which ranne from generation to generation might stop before it came at her so that she was ransomed in so excellent a manner that although the Torrent of originall iniquitie came rolling her vnfortunate waters vpon the Conception of this sacred Lady euen with as great impetuositie as against the daughters of ADAM yet being arriued there it did not dare a further passage but made a sodaine staie as did of old the waters of Iordaine in the daies of IOSVE and for the same respect for the flood stopt his course in reuerence of the Ark of Alliance which passed and originall sinne made his waters retire adoring and dreading the presence of the true Tabernacle of Eternall Alliance 3. In this sort then God deturned all bondage from his glorious Mother giuing her the good of both the states of humane nature retaining the Innocencie which the first ADAM had lost and enioying in an excellent sort the Redemption which the second did acquire Whence as a garden of election which was to bring fourth the fruite of life she was made florishing in all sorts of perfections This sonne of eternall loue hauing thus decked his Mother with a Robe of gold wrought in faire varietie that she might be the Queene of his right hand that is to saie the first of the elect which should enioy the delightes of God's right hand so that this sacred Mother as being altogether reserued for her Sonne was by him infranchised not onely from damnation but euen from all danger of damnation giuing her Assurance of grace and the Perfection of grace not vnlike an Aurora who beginning to appeare encreaseth continually in brightnesse till perfect day light Admirable redemption Master-pece of the Redemour and Prime of all Redemptions by which the sonne with a truly filiall heart preuented his Mother in the benedictions of sweetnesse he preserued her not onely from sinne as he did the Angels but euen from all danger of sinne and euery thing that might diuert of hinder her in the exercise of holy Loue. Protesting that amongst all the reasonable Creaturs he had chosen this Mother was his onely Doue his entirely perfect his wholie deare well beloued without all paragon and comparison 4. God also appointed other sauours for a small number of rare Creaturs whom he would assure from the perill of damnation as certainly he did S. IOHN BAPTIST and probably IEREMIE with certaine others which the Diuine Prouiuidence seased vpon in their mothers wombe and stated vpon them a Perpetuitie of Grace by which they might remaine firme in his Loue though subiect to delaies and veniall sinnes which are contrarie to the perfection of Loue not to Loue it selfe and these soules in regard of others are as Queenes continually crowned with Charitie holding the principall place in the loue of their Sauiour next to his Mother who is Queene of Queenes A Queene not onely crowned with Loue but with the Perfectiō of loue yea which is yet more crowned with her owne Sonne the soueraigne obiect of Loue being that childrē are theire Fathers and Mothers crownes 5. There are yet other soules which God determined for a time to leaue exposed to the danger not of loosing their saluation but yet in perill to loose his Loue yea he permitted them to loose it in effect not assuring them Loue for the whole time of their life but onely for the periode therof and for certaine precedent times Such were the APOSTLES DAVID MADELAINE and diuerse others who for a time remained out of God's grace but in the end being throughly conuerted they were confirmed in grace vntill death so that though from thence they continued subiect to imperfections yet were they exempt from all mortall sinne and consequently from danger of loosing the Diuine loue and were as the heauenly spouse his sacred soules adorned indeede with a wedding garment of this holy loue yet for all that not crowned a crowne being an ornament of the head that is of the prime part of a man now the first yeares of the Soules of this ranck hauing bene subiect to terreane loue they were not to be adorned with the crowne of heauenly loue but it is sufficient for them to weare the Robe which renders them capable of the marriage-bede with the heauenly Spouse and to be eternally happie with him How admirable the diuine prouidence is in the diuersitie of graces giuen to men CHAPTER VII 1. THere was then in the eternall Prouidence an incomparable fauour for the Queene of Queenes
be idle he vrgeth vs by this generall commandement to imploy it and to th' end this commandement might haue effect he furniseth euery liuing creature abundantly with all meanes requisite thervnto The visible Sunne toucheth euery thing with his liuely heate and as the common louer of things belowe doth impart vnto them requisite vigour to produce And euen so the diuine goodnesse doth animate all soules and encourage all hearts to her loue none at all being shut vp from her heate The eternall wisdome sayeth Salomon preacheth in publicke she makes her voice resoūd amōgst the places she cries ād recries before the people she pronoūceth her words in the gates of the Citie saying ô children how long will it be that you will loue your infancie how long will fooles desire hurtfull things and the imprudent hate knowledge Conuert your selues returne to me vpon this aduertissement ah behould how I profer you my spirit and I will shew you my wordes And the same wisdome pursueth in EZECHIEL saying Let no man saye I am dead in sinne and how cā I recouer life againe Ah no! for harke God saieth I am liuing and as true as I liue I will not the death of a sinner but that he be conuerted and liue Now to liue according to God is to loue and he that loues not remaines in death See now THEOTIME whether God doth not desire we should loue him 2. But he is not content to denounce in this manner publickly his great desire to be loued so that euery one might receiue a part of the seedes of his loue but he goes euen from doore to doore knocking and beating protesting that if any one open he will enter and suppe with him that is he will testifie all sorts of good will towards him 3. But what would all this saie THEOTIME but that God doth not onely giue vs a meere sufficiencie of meanes to loue him and in louing him to saue our selues but euen a rich ample and magnificent sufficiencie and such as ought to be expected from so great a bountie as his The great Apostle speaking to the obstinate sinner Dost thou contemne saieth he the riches of the bountie patience and longanimitie of God art thou ignorant that the benignitie of God doth draw thee to penāce But thou according to thy hardnesse ād impenitēt heart dost heape vp against thy selfe anger in the day of Anger My deare THEO God doth not therfore exercise a meere sufficiencie of remedies to conuert the obstinate but imployes to this end the riches of his bountie The Apostle as you see doth oppose the riches of God's goodnesse against the treasurs of the impenitēt hearts malice and saieth that the malicious heart is so rich in iniquitie that he despiseth euē the riches of Gods mildnesse by which he drawes him to repentance and marke that the obstinate doth not onely contemne the riches of God's goodnesse but euē riches attractiue to repentance Riches wherof one cānot well be ignorant verily this rich heape and abundant sufficiencie of meanes which God freely bestoweth vpon sinners to loue him doth appeare almost through the whole Scripture For see this diuine Louer at the gate he doth not simply beate but stayes beating he calls the Soule goe to rise my well-beloued dispach put thy hād to the locke to try whether it will open When he preacheth amidst the places he doth not simply preach but goes crying out that is he continues his crie and when he proclaims that euery one should conuert themselues he thinkes he hath neuer repeated it sufficiently Conuert your selues conuert your selues doe penance returne to me liue why dost thou die ô house of Israel In conclusion this heauenlie Sauiour forgets nothing to shew that his mercyes are aboue all his workes that his mercy doth surpasse his Iudgment that his Redemption is copious that his loue is infinite and as the Apostle saieth that he is rich in mercy and by consequence that his will is that all men should be saued none perish How the eternall loue of God doth preuent our hearts with his inspirations to th' end we might loue him CHAPTER IX 1. I Haue loued thee with a perpetuall charitie ād therfore haue drawen thee vnto me hauing pitie and mercy vpon thee and againe I will reedifie thee and thou shalt be built againe virgin of ISRAEL These are God's wordes by which he promiseth that the Sauiour coming into the world shall establish a new raigne in his Church which shall be his Virgin-spouse and true spirituall Israëlite 2. Now as you see THEOT it was not by any merit of the workes which we had done that he saued vs but according to his mercy his auncient yea eternall charitie which moued his diuine Prouidence to draw vs vnto him For if the father had not drawne vs we had neuer come to the Sonne our Sauiour nor consequently to saluation 3. There are certaine birds THEOT which Aristotle calls Apodes for that their legges being extreamly short and their feete feable they haue no more vse of them then though they had none at all so that if at any time they light vpon the groūd they are caught neuer after being able to take flight because hauing no seruice of their legges or feete they haue no further power to rayse and regaine themselues into the ayre but remaine there peuling and dying vnlesse some winde fauorable to their impotencie sending out his blastes vpon the face of the earth sease vpon them and beare them vp as it doth many other things For then making vse of their winges they correspond to this first touch and motion which the winde gaue them it also continewing it's assistance towards them bringing them by little and little to flight 4. THEO Angels are like to the birds which for their beautie and raritie are called birds of Paradice neuer seene in earth but dead For those heauenlie spirits had no sooner forsaken Diuine loue to be fixed vpon Selfe loue till sodainely they fell as dead buried in Hell seeing that the same effect which death hath in men seperating them euerlastingly from this mortall life the same had the Angels fall in them excluding them for euer from eternall life But we mortalls doe rather resemble Apodes For if it chance that we quitting the ayre of holy and diuine loue fall vpon the earth and adheare to creaturs which we doe as often as we offend God we die indeede yet not so absolute a death that there resteth in vs no motiō together with legges and feete to wit some weake affectiōs which enableth vs to make some essaies of loue yet so weakly that in trueth we are impotēt of our selues to reclaime our hearts from sinne or restore our selues to the flight of sacred loue which catifs that we are we haue perfideously and voluntarily forsaken 5. And truely we should well deserue to remaine abandoned of God sith we haue disloyally abandoned him but his eternall charitie doth often not
permit his iustice to vse this chastisement but exciting his compassion prouokes him to reclaime vs from our miserie which he doth by sending vnto vs the fauorable wind of his most holy inspiration which blowing vpon our hearts with a sweete violence doth sease and stirre them aduancing our thoughtes and eleuating our affections into the ayre of heauenly loue 6. Now this first stirring or motion which God causeth in our hearts to incite them to their owne good is effected indeede in vs but not by vs for it cometh vnexpectedly before we either haue or could haue thought of it seeing we haue not any sufficiencie of our selues as of our selues to thinke any thing necessarie to our saluatiō but all our abilitie is frō God who did not onely loue vs before we were but euen to th' end we might be and become Saincts For which cause he doth preuēt vs with the blessings of his fatherly sweetenesse and doth excitate our hearts to bring them to a holy repentance and conuersion See I pray you THEOT the poore Apostle stupid with sinne in the heauie night of his Maisters passion he did no more thinke to sorrow for his sinne then though he had neuer knowen his heauenly Sauiour and as a miserable Apode fallen vpon the ground had neuer risen had not the Cocke as an instrument of the diuine prouidence struke his eares with his voice at the same instante in which his sweete Redeemour casting vpō him a gracious looke as a dart of loue transpearced his heart of loue whence afterwards did issue water in such abundance as did frō the auncient Rocke smot by Moyses in the Desert But looke againe and see this holy Apostle sleeping in Herods Prison chained in two chaines he is there in qualitie of a Martyr and neuerthelesse he representeth poore man sleeping enuironed with sinne prisoner and slaue to Satan Alas who will deliuer him The Angell descends from heauen and striking vpon the great emprisoned Peters side awakes him saying vp arise and the inspiration comes from heauen as an Angell and hitting right vpon the poore sinners heart stirs him vp that he might rise from his iniquitie Is it not true then ô my deare THEOT that this first motion and touch which the soule perceiueth when God preuenting it with loue doth awake and excite it to forsake sinne returning vnto him and not onely the first touch but euen the whole awaking is done in vs and for vs but not by vs We are awaked but not of our selues it was the inspiration which wakened vs and to make vs rise did moue and shake vs I slept saieth the deuote Spouse and my SPOVSE who is my Heart watched Ah! see him heare how he awakes me calling me by the title of our loues I know well by his voice t' is he It is at vnawares ād vnexpectedly that God doth call and stirs vs vp by his holy inspiration And in this beginning of grace we doe nothing but feele the touch which God giues in vs indeede as S. BERRARD saieth but without our concourse How we often times repulse the inspiration and refuse to loue CHAPTER X. 1. VVoe be to thee COROSAIN woe be to thee BETHSAIDA For if in TIRIA and SIDONIA the Miracles had bene done which were done in thee they had done penance in haire cloth and ashes t' is the word of God Harke I pray you THEOT how the inhabitants of COROSAIN and BETSAIDA instructed in the true Religiō and possessed of fauours that would euen haue conuerted the Pagans themselues remaine neuerthelesse obstinate neuer making vse therof but reiecting this holy light by an incomparable rebellion Certainely at the day of iudgment the NINIVITS and the Queene Saba will rise vp against the Iewes and will conuince them to be worthy of damnation For as touching the NINIVITS they being Idolatours and Barbarians at the voice of IONAS were conuerted and did penance And the Queene of SABA though engaged in the affairs of her kingdome yet hauing heard the renowne of SALOMONS wisdome she forsooke all to goe to heare him speake While the IEWES hearing with their eares the heauenly wisdome of the true SALOMON Sauiour of the world seeing with their eies his miracles touching with their hands his graces and benefits ceased not for all that to be hardned and to resist the grace which was profered them See then againe THEOT how they who had fewer drawings are brought to penance and those who had more remaine obdurate Those who had lesse occasion to come come to wisdomes schoole and those who had more sticke in their follie 2. Thus is the iudgment of comparison made as all the Doctours haue noted which can haue no foundation if it consist not in this that notwithstanding some haue had as many or more callings then others haue they denyed consent to God's mercy whereas others assisted with the like yea euen lesser helpes haue followed the inspiration betaking themselues to holy penance For how could one otherwise reasonably reproach the impenitent with their impenitencie by comparison to such as are conuerted 3. Certainly our Sauiour doth clearly shew and all Christians doe in simplicitie conceiue that in this iust iudgment the Iewes shall be condemned by comparison to the NINIVITS because those receiued many fauours and yet loued not much assistance and yet repented not these lesse fauour and yet loued much lesse assistance and yet sorrowed much 4. The great S. AVGVSTINE giues great light to this discourse by a passage of his in the 12. booke of the Citie of God 6. 7. 8. and 9. Chapter for though he haue there a particular reference to Angels yet so as that he makes a paritie in this pointe betwixt them and men 5. Now after he had in the sixt chapter put two men entirely equall in goodnesse and all things molested with the same temptation he presupposeth that the one could resist the other giue way to the enemy in the 9. chapter hauing proued that all the Angels were created in charitie auerring further as a thing probable that grace and charitie was equall in them all he makes a demand how it came to passe that some of them perseuerd and made progresse in goodnesse euen to the attaining of glorie others forsooke good to imbrace euill euen to damnation And he answeres that no other answere can be rendred then that the one companie perseuered by the grace of their Creatour the other of good which they were became bad by their owne onely will 6. But if it be true as S. THOMAS doth singularly well prooue that grace was diuersified in Angels with proportion and according to the varietie of their naturall giftes the Seraphins should haue had a grace incomparably more excellent then the simple Angels of the last Order How then happened it that some of the Seraphins yea euen the first of all according to the common and most probable opinion of the auncients did fall while an innumerable multitude of other Angels
the call and sleepe againe seeing we were called onely to th' end we should rise We cannot hinder that the inspiration thrust vs not on and consequently put vs not into motion but if as it driues vs forwards we repulse it by not yeelding our selues to its motion we then make resistance so the winde hauing seased vpō ād mounted our Apodes will not beare thē vp very farre vnlesse they display their winges and cooperate raising themselues and soaring vp a loft into the aire toward which the winde began their motion but if contrariwise taken as it happens with some pray they espie vpō the ground or befium'd with their delay there in lieu of seconding the winde they keepe their winges foulded and doe cast themselues againe vpon the earth they receiued indeede the motion of the winde but in vaine sith they did not helpe themselues therby THEO inspirations doe preuent vs and euen before they be thought on make themselues be felt but after we haue felt them it is in our hand 's either to consent to them to second and follow their motiō or else to dissent and repell thē They cause themselues to be perceiued by vs without vs but without vs they doe not force consent Of the first feelings of loue which diuine inspirations cause in the soule before she yet receiue faith CHAPTER XIII 1. THe winde that raiseth the Apodes blowes first vpon their fethers as parts most light and capable of agitation by which it giues the beginning of motion to their winges extending and displaying thē making vse therof as of a hold by which it may sease the birds and waft them into the aire And if they thus mounted doe cōtribute the motiō of their winges to that of the winde the same winde that first enter'd their motion will still ayde them more and more to fly with ease Euen so my deare THEO when an inspiration as a sacred gale blowes vs forward in the aire of holy loue it first laies at our will and by the sense of some heauenly delectation moues vnfolds and extends the naturall inclination which she hath to good so that it serues it selfe of this inclination as a hold to fasten vpon the soule and all this as I haue saied is done in vs without vs for it is the diuine fauour that doth preuent vs in this sort But if our will thus holily preuented perceiuing the winges of her inclination moued displaied extended stirred and agitated by this heauenly winde doe in any measure contribute her consent ah how happie she is THEO for the same inspiration and fauour which hath seased vs mixing their action with our consent animating our feeble motions with their vigour and giuing life to our weake cooperation by the puissance of their operation they ayde conduct and accompanie vs from loue to loue euen vnto the act of most holy faith requisite for our conuersion 2. Sweete God THEO what a consolation it is to consider the sacred methode with which the Holy Ghost pouers into our soules the first rayes and feelings of his light and vitall heate O IESVS how delightfull a pleasure it is to marke how the diuine loue goes by little and little by degrees which insensibly become sensible displaying his light vpon a soule neuer disisting till he haue wholy couered it with the splendour of his presence endewing it in the end with the perfect beautie of his day ô how cheerefull faire amiable and agreeable this day-breake is Neuerthelesse true it is that either this breake of day is not day or if it be day it is but a beginning day a rising of the day and rather the infancie of the day then the day it selfe In like manner without doubt these motions of loue which forerunne the act of faith requisite to our iustifition are either not loue properly speaking or but a beginning and imperfect loue They are the first verdant blossomes which the soule warmed with the heauenly Sunne as a mysticall tree begins to put fourth in spring time which are rather presages of fruite then fruite it selfe 3. S. PACOMIVS as then a young souldier and ignorant of God enrolled vnder the colours of the armie which CONSTANCE had leuied against the Tyrant MAXENTIVS came with the Companie with whom he was to lodge nigh a little towne not farre distant frō Thebes where not onely he but all the armie were in extreame want of victualls which the inhabitants of the little towne hauing vnderstoode being by good fortune Christians and consequently friendly and charitable to their neighbours they sodainly succoured the souldiers in their necessitie and that with such care courtifie and affection that PACOMIVS was strucke with admiration therat and demāding what natiō it was that was so bountifull amiable and gracious it was answered him they were Christians and enquiring againe of what law and manner of life they were he learned that they beleeued in IESVS CHRIST the onely sonne of God and did good to all sorts of people with a firme hope to receiue euen of God himselfe an ample recompense therof Alas THEOT the poore PACOMIVS though of a good nature was then laied a sleepe in the beed of his infidelitie and behould how vpon a sodaine God was present at the port of his heart and by the good example of these Christians as by a sweete voice he calls him awakes him and giues him the first Feelings of the little heate of his loue for scarcely had he heard as I haue saied the sweete law of our Sauiour intimated till filled with a new light and interiour consolation retiring himselfe a part and hauing for a space mused he lifted vp his hands towards heauen and with a profound sigh fell into this speach Lord God who made heauen and earth if thou deigne to cast thine eies vpon my basenesse and miserie and giue me the knowledge of thy diuinitie I promisse to serue thee and obey thy commandements all the daies of my life From this praier and promisse the loue of the true good and pietie did so encrease in him that he ceased not to practise a thousand thousād acts of vertue 4. Verily me thinkes I see in this example a Nightingale who waking at the peepe of the day begins to stirre vp and strech her selfe vnfould her plumes skipe from branch to branch amidst the thickets and chirpe out her delicious notes For did you not note how the good example of the charitable Christians did excitate and stirre vp by manner of surprise the blessed PACOMIVS Truly the amaisement of admiration wherwith he was taken was no other thing then his awaking At which God touched him as doth the Sunne the earth with a raie of his heate which filled him with a great feeling of spirituall pleasure For which cause PACOMIVS did a little diuert himselfe To th' end he might with more attention and facilitie recollect and relish the grace he had receiued withdrawing himselfe to thinke thervpon then he extends
in the SANCTVARIE where the Holy Ghost which animateth the bodie of his Church speaketh by the mouth of the head thereof In like manner the Ostridg layes her egges vpon the Libian shore but the Sunne alone doth hatch her young ones The Doctours by their inquirie and discourse doe propose TRVTH but the onely beames of the Sunne of iustice giues certaintie and repose therein Now to conclude THEOTIME this assurance which man's reason finds in sublime things and mysteries of faith begins by an amorous sense of delight which the will receiues from the beautie and sweetenesse of the proposed TRVTH so that faith doth comprehend a beginning of loue towards heauenly things which our heart resenteth Of the great feeling of loue which we receiue by holy hope CHAPTER XV. 1. AS being exposed to the Sunne beames at mid-day we hardly see the brightnesse till presently we feele the heate so the light of faith hath no sooner spred the splendour of its verities in our vnderstanding but incontinently our will perceiues the holy heate of heauenly loue Faith makes vs know by an infallible certaintie that God is that he is infinite in bountie that he can communicate himselfe vnto vs and not onely that he can but that he will so that by an ineffable sweetenesse he hath prouided vs of all things requisite to obtaine the happinesse of eternall glorie Now we haue a naturall inclination to the soueraigne good by reason of which our heart is touched with a certaine inward griping and a continuall disquiet not being able to repose or cease to testifie that it enioyes not its perfect satisfactiō and solide contentment but when holy faith hath represented vnto our vnderstanding this faire obiect of our naturall inclination ô good God THEO what repose what pleasure how generall an exultation possesseth our soule wherevpon as being surprised at the aspect of so excellent a beautie in loue she cries out ô how faire thou art my well-beloued ô how faire thou art 2. Eliezer sought for a wife to his master ABRAHAMS sonne how knew he that she would appeare faire and gracious in his eies as his desire was but when he had espied her at the fountaine and saw her so excellent in beautie and so perfectly sweete and especially when he had obtained her he adored GOD and blessed him with thankes-giuing full of incomparable ioye Mans heart tends to God by his naturall inclination without discerning well who he is but when he finds him at the fountaine of faith and seeth him so good faire sweete and gentle towards all and so prone as soueraigne good to bestow himselfe vpon all which desire him ô God what contentments and what sacred motions hath the soule to vnite her selfe for euer to this bountie so soueraignly amiable I haue foūd saieth the soule thus inspired I haue found that which my heart desired and now I am at repose And as Iacob hauing seene the faire Rachel after he had holily kissed her melted into treares of ioye for the good he apprehended in meeting with so desired an obiect so our poore heart hauing found out God and receiued of him the first kisse of holy faith it dissolues fourthwith into the delightes of loue by reason of the infinite good which it presently espies in that soueraigne Beautie 3. We somtimes experience in our selues certaine vnexpected delights without any apparent cause and these are diuers times presages of some greater ioyes whence many are of opinion that our good Angell fore-seeing the good which shall arriue vnto vs giues vs by this meanes a foretast therof as contrariwise he strikes into vs with a certaine feare and dread amongst vnknowen dangers to the end we may be moued to inuoke GODS assistance and stand vpon our garde Now when the presaged good arriues we receiue it with open breast and reflecting vpon the content we formely tasted without knowing the cause we onely then begin to perceiue that it was a forerunner of the Hape we now enioye Euen so my deare THEO our heart hauing had for so long a time an inclination to it's soueraigne good knew not to what end this motion tended But so soone as faith hath set it at view then the heart doth clearly discerne that it was that which his soule coueted his vnderstanding serched and his inclination aymed at Certainly whether we wake or sleepe our soule tends toward the soueraigne good but what is this soueraigne good we are like to these good ATHENIANS who sacrificed vnto the true God albeit vnknowen vnto them till the great S. PAVLE taught thē the knowledge therof For so our heart by a deepe and secrete instinct in all his actions doth tend to and pretend felicitie pursuing it here and there as it were by groping without knowing either where it resides or in what it consisteth till faith showes and describs the infinite mysteries therof but then hauing found the treasure he sought for ah what contentment finds this poore humane heart What ioye what complacence of loue ô I haue met with him whom my heart sought for without knowing him ô how I was ignorant to what my pretentions did tend while nothing of that which I pretended could content me because I knew not indeede what I pretēded I pretended to loue yet knew not vpon what to place my affection and therefore my pretention not finding its true loue my loue remained alwayes in a true yet vnknowen pretention I had indeede sufficient touches of loue to make me pretend but not sense enough of the Bountie which I was to loue to exercise loue How loue is practised in hope CHAPTER XVI 1. MAns vnderstanding being conueniently applied to the consideratiō of that which faith representeth touching it's soueraigne good presently vpon it the will conceiues an extreame delight in this diuine obiect which then being absent begets an ardent desire of it's presence whēce the soule holily cries out let him kisse me with a kisse of his mouth To God it is I doe aspire God is all my hearts desire And as the vnhoodded Hawke hauing got her pray at view doth sodainely lanch her selfe vpon the winge and being held in her leash strugles vpon the hand with extreame ardout so faith hauing drawen the vaile of ignorance and made vs see our soueraigne good of which neuerthelesse we cannot yet be possessed retained by the condition of this mortall life alas THEO we then desire it in such sort that The long time chased Hart In panting flight oppress 't Doth not the floods so much desire As our poore hearts distress't To thee ô Lord aspire Our sicklie hearts bring out Desires that still augment And crie alas when shall it be O God of Hostes omnipotent That we thy face shall set This desire is iust THEO for who would not desire so desirable a good But this desire would be vnprofitable yea would be a continuall torment to our heart if we had not assurāce that we should at length satiate it
dishonored thee Furthermore he will haue his Philosopher to make an admirable Oth to God neuer to be disobedient to his diuine Maiestie nor to accuse or blame any thing coming from him nor yet in any sort to complaine therof And in another place he teacheth that GOD and our good Angell are present to all our actions You see then THEO that this Philosopher as yet Pagan knew that sinne offended GOD as vertue honored him and consequently he thought repentance necessarie sith that euen he ordained an examen of conscience at night in respect wherof with Pithagoras he gaue this aduertisement Let conscience of the fact be vertues meede Let bitter reprehension vice succeede Now this kind of repentance tyed to the knowledge and loue of GOD which nature can giue was a dependance of morall religion but as naturall reason bestowed more knowledge then loue vpon the Philosophers who glorified him not with proportion to the notice they had therof so did nature furnish them with more light to vnderstand how much God was offended by sinne then heate to stire vp repentance necessarie for the reparation of the offence 5. And abbeit religious penance hath in some sort bene acknowledged by some of the Philolophers yet so rarely and weakly that those which were reputed the most vertuous amongst them to wit the STOIKES gaue assurance that the wiseman was neuer attristated wherevpon they framed a MAXIME so contrarie to reason as the proposition on which it was grounded was contrarie to experience THAT THE WISE-MAN SINNED NOT. 6. We may therefore well saie THEO that penance is a vertue wholy Christian sith on the one side it was so little knowen to the Pagans and on the other side it is so well knowen amongst true Christians that in it consisteth a great part of the Euangelicall Philosophie according to which who soeuer affirmeth that he sinneth not is mad and who soeuer thinketh without penance to redresse his sinne is frantike for it is our Sauiours exhortation of exortations DOE PENANCE Behold a briefe description of the progresse of this vertue 7. We enter into a deepe apprehension why we offend GOD so farre as we are able in despising dishonoring disobeying and rebelling against him who againe of his part holdeth himselfe offended theraat irritated ād contemned distasting reprouing and abhorring iniquitie Out of this true apprehension diuers motiues spring which either all or many together or each one a part may carrie vs to this repentance For it enters into our thoughts some times that GOD the offended hath established a rigourous punishment in Hell for sinners and that he will depriue them of Paradice prepared for the good And as the desire of Paradice is extreamly honorable so the feare to loose it is greatly cōsiderable and not that onely but the desire of Paradice being of high esteeme the feare of its contrarie hell is good and laudable O who would not dread so great a losse so great a torment And this double feare the one seruile the other mercenarie doth greatly beare vs forwards towards a repentance for our sinnes by which we haue incurred them And to this effect in the holy word this feare is a thousand and a thousand times intimated Againe we consider the deformitie and malice of sinne according as faith doth teach vs as for example that by yet the liknesse and Image of GOD is defiled and disuigored the dignitie of our soule dishonoured that we are become like brute beasts that we haue violated our dutie towards the CREATOR of the world forfetted the happinesse of the Angelicall societie to associate and subiect our selues to the Diuell ād to the slauerie of our owne passiōs ouerturning the order of reason offending our GOOD-ANGELS to whom we haue so great obligation 8. At other times we are prouoked to repentance by the beautie of vertue which brings as much good with it as sinne doth euill Further we are often moued to it by the example of Saints for who did euer cast his eies vpon the exercises of the incomparable penance of a MAGDELAINE of a MARIE EGIPTIACA or of the PENITENTS of the Monasterie surnamed PRISON described by S. IOHN CLIMACVS without being moued to repentance for his sinns sithence the very reading of the Historie doth incite therto such as are not altogether insensible That Penance without loue is imperfect CHAPTER XIX 1. NOw all these motiues are taught vs by faith and Christian religiō and therefore the repentance which thence issueth is very laudable though otherwise imperfect very laudable certainly it is for neither the holy Scripture nor Church would euer haue vsed these motifes to haue stirred vs vp if the penance thence proceeding had not bene good and we see manifestly that it is most agreeable to reason to repent for sinne for these considerations yea that it is impossible that he who considereth them attentiuely should not repent Yet it is an imperfect repentance because the diuine loue is not as yet found there ah doe not you see THEO that we haue all these repentances for the interest of our owne soule her felicitie her interiour beautie honour dignitie and in a word for selfe loue yet a lawfull iust and well ordered loue 2. And note that I doe not saie that these repentances reiect the loue of God but onely that they doe not include it they doe not repulse it yet doe they not containe it they are not contrarie to it but as yet are without it it is not excluded nor yet is it included The will which doth simply imbrace good is good yet if she so imbrace it as to reiect the better she is truly disordinate not in accepting the one but in repulsing the other So to vow to giue almes this day is good yet to vow to giue onely this day were bad because it would exclude the better that is to giue both to day to morrow and euery day when cōmoditie serueth Certes it is well done it cannot be denied to repent for our sinns to auoide the paines of Hell and obtaine heauen but he that should resolue neuer to repent for any other thing should wilfully exclude the better which is to repent for the loue of God and commit a great sinne And what father would not find it strang that his sonne would indeede serue him yet not at all with loue or by loue 3. The beginning of good things is good the progresse better the end the best yet the beginning is good in the nature of a beginning and the progresse in the nature of a progresse but to offer in the beginning 〈◊〉 progresse to end the worke were to peruert order Infancie is good but to desire to remain still a child is naught for a child of an hūdred yeares old is despised It is laudable to begin to learne yet he that should begin with intētiō neuer to perfect himselfe should doe against all reasō Feare ād those other motifes of repētāce whereof I spoake
Treacle for there is none at all there but it is so called because the plant of the vine hauing bene steeped in Treacle the grapes and vines which sprung from it drew into them selues the vertue and operation of the Treacle against all sorts of poison we must not therefore thinke it strang if penance according to the holy scripture doe blot-out sinne saue the soule make her gratefull to GOD and iustifie her which are effects appertaining to loue and seeme not to be attributed to any saue it for though loue it selfe be not alwaies found in perfect penance yet its vertue and proprieties are alwaies there conueied thither by the motife of loue whence it sprung 9. Nor must we admire that the force of loue should spring out of penance before loue be there formed sith we see that the reflection of the sunne beames beating vpō a looking glasse heate which is the vertue and proper qualitie of fire gaines by little and little so much force that it begins to burne before it haue yet well produced the fire or at least before we perceiued it for so the holy ghost casting into our vnderstanding the consideration of the greatnesse of our sinns for that by them we haue offended so soueraigne a Bountie and our will receiuing the reflection of this knowledge repentance by little and little groweth so strong with a certaine affectiue heate and desire to returne into grace with God that in fine this motion becomes so compleate that it doth burne and vnite euen before the loue be fully formed which notwithstanding as a sacred fire is immediatly in that moment kindled so that repentance neuer comes to the point of burning and reuniting the heart to God which is her vtmost perfection but she find's her selfe wholy conuerted into fire and flames of loue the end of the one giuing the other a beginning yea rather the end of penance is within the beginning of loue as ESAV his foote was within Iacobs hand in such sort that as soone as ESAV ended his birth Iacob begun his the end of the ones birth being ioyned tyed and which is more enuironed with the beginning of the others for so the beginning of perfect loue doth not onely follow the end of pennance but doth euen cleaue and tye it selfe to it and to containe all in one word this beginning of loue doth mixe it selfe with the end of repentance and in this motion of mixture pennance and contrition merits life euerlasting 3. Now because this louing repentance is ordinarily practised by eleuations and raisings vp of the heart to God like to those of the auncient penitents I am thine ô Lord saue me haue mercy vpon me for in thee my soule doth confide saue me o Lord for the waters doe ouerwhelme my soule Vse me like one of thy hirelings Lord be propitious to me a poore sinner It is not without reason that some haue saied that Praier did iustifie for the repentant Praier or the suppliant repentance raising vp the soule to God and reuniting it to his goodnesse without doubt obtaines Pardon in vertue of holy loue which giues the sacred motiō And therefore we ought to be furnished with such iaculatorie praiers made in manner of louing repentance and desire aiming at our recōciliatiō to God to th' end that by the meanes therof laying before our Sauiour our tribulation we may poure out our soules before and with in his pitifull heart who will receiue them to mercy How our Sauiour louing inspirations doe assist and accompanie vs to faith and charitie CHAPTER XXI 1. FRom the first awaking from sinne or infidelitie to the finall resolution of a perfect beleefe there often runneth a great deale of time in which we may praie as we haue seene S. PACOMIVS doe and as the father of the poore Lunatike who by S. MARKES relation giuing assurance he beleeued that is that he began to beleeue knew with all that he beleeued not sufficiently wherevpon he cried out Lord I beleeue yet help my incredulitie as though he should haue saied I am now no more in the obscuritie of the night of infidelitie the raies of your faith doth already touch vpon the Orizon of my soule yet doe I not euen yet beleeue so much as were conuenient it is yet an infant knowledge and mixed with darknesse ah Lord helpe me S. AVGVSTINE also doth solemnly pronoūce this remarkable word But harke ô man and vnderstand art thou not drawene praie that thou may'st be drawen in which his intention is not to speake of the first motiō which GOD work 's in vs without vs when he excites and awakes vs out of the sleepe of sinne For how could we demand to be awaked seeing no man can praie before he be awaked but he speakes of the resolution which a man vndertakes to become faithfull For he esteemes that to beleeue is to be drawen and therefore he admonisheth euen such as were exercised in faith to demand the gift of faith and indeede none could better know the difficulties which ordinarily passe betwixt the first motions that God works in vs and the perfect resolution of perfect beleefe then S. AVGVSTINE who hauing had so great a varietie of touches by the words of the glorious S. AMBROSE by the conferance he had with Potitian and a thousand other meanes vsed notwithstanding so many delayes and had so much paine to resolue so that more truely to him then any other might haue bene applyed that which he afterwards saied to others Alas AVGVSTINE if thou be not drawen if thou beleeue not praie that thou maist be drawen that thou maist beleeue 2. Our Sauiour drawes hearts by the delight that he giues them which makes them find the heauēly learning sweete and agreeable but till this sweetenesse haue engaged and assured our will by his amiable bonds to draw it to the perfect agreement and consent of faith as GOD is not deficient in exercising his goodnesse vpon vs by his holy inspirations so doth not our enemie cease to practise his malice by temptations In the interim we remaine in full libertie to consent to the diuine drawghtes or to reiect them for as the Sacred CONC of TRENT hath clearely resolued If any one should saie that mans freewill being moued and incited by GOD doth cooperate in nothing by consenting to GOD who did moue and call him to the end he might dispose and prepare himselfe to obtaine the grace of Iustification and that he could not consent though he would verily he should be excommunicated and reproued by the Church But if we doe not repulse the grace of holy loue it doth dilate it selfe by continuall encrease in our soules till they be entierily conuerted like to great riuers which finding opē plaines spreed themselues still gaining ground 3. And if the inspiration hauing drawen vs to faith find no resistance in vs it drawes vs euen to penance and charitie S. PETER as an Apode helpt vp by an inspiration
puts them by the practise of holy loue 3. In heauen THEO the louing attention of the blessed is firme constant inuiolable and cannot perish or decrease their intention is pure and freed from all mixture of any inferiour intention In some this felicitie to see God clearely and loue him vnchangably is incomparable And who would euer compare the pleasure one might take by sea if any can be had to liue amidst the dangers continuall torments agitations and mutatiōs which there are to be endured with the content of a royall Pallace where all things are at a wish yea where delights doe incomparably passe our wishes 4. There is then more content pleasure and perfection in the exercise of sacred loue amongst the heauenly inhabitants then in that of the pilgrims of this poore land some notwithstanding haue bene so happie in their pilgrimage that they passed in Charitie diuers of those Saints who were already possessed of the eternall Countrie for certainly it were strang that the Charitie of a great S. IOHN of the Apostles and Apostolicall men were not greater yea euen while they were detained heare belowe then that of little children who dying in the onely grace of Baptisme enioyed immortall glorie 5. It is not ordinarie that shepheards are more valiant then soldiers and yet the little shepheard DAVID cōming into the Armie of ISRAEL foūd that euery one was more expert in the vse of armes then he neuerthelesse he was more valiant then all they Nor is it ordinarie that mortalls haue more charitie then the immortall and yet there haue bene some mortalls inferiour in the exercise of loue to the immortall who notwithstanding haue gone before them in charitie and habits of loue And as making comparison betwixt hote iron and a burning lampe we saie the iron is hotter yet the lampe is clearer and lighter So if we parallel a glorious child with S. IOHN as yet prisoner or S. PAVLE a captiue we shall saie that the child in heauen hath more brightnesse and lightnesse in his vnderstanding more heate and exercise of loue in the will yet S. IOHN or S. PAVLE had euen in earth more fire of Charitie and heate of loue Of the incomparable loue of the mother of God our B. Lady CHAPTER VIII 1. BVt what or whersoeuer I speake my meaning is not to make comparison with the most Sacred virgin Mother our B. Lady ô God no FOR SHE IS THE DAVGHTER OF INCOMPARABLE DILECTION the onely doue the most perfect spouse Of this heauenly Queene from my heart I pronounce this louing and true thought that at least towards the end of her mortall daies her charitie passed that of the Seraphins for though many Daughters heaped together riches she surpassed the all The Saints and Angels are but cōpared to starrs and the prime of those to the fairest of these but she is faire as the moone as easie to be singled and discerned from all the Saints as the Sunne from the starrs And yet I thinke further that as the Charitie of this MOTHER OF LOVE excells that of all the Saints of heauen in perfection so did she exercise it more perfectly yea euen in this mortall life neuer offending venially as the Church esteemes she had then nor change nor stop in the way of Loue but by a perpetuall aduancement ascended from Loue to Loue. She neuer felt any contradiction of the sensuall appetite whence her Loue as a true SALOMON reigned peacebly in her soule and was exercised at her pleasure the virginitie of her heart and bodie was more worthy and honorable then that of Angels So that her spirit not diuided or separated as S. PAVLE saieth was occupied in diuine thoughts to please her God And in fine a mothers loue most pressing actiue and ardent an vnwearied and insatiable loue what could it not work in the heart of such a mother and for the heart of such a sonne 2. Ah! doe not saie I pray you that this virgin was subiect to sleepe no saie not so THEO for doe you not see that her sleepe is a sleepe of Loue so that it is euen her Spouse his will that she should sleepe so long as she list ah take heede I coniure you saith he that you awake not my well-beloued till she please No THEO this heauenly Queene neuer slept but of loue sith she neuer gaue repose to her precious bodie but to reenforce it the better thence to serue God which is a most excellent act of Charitie for as the great S. Augustine saieth Charitie doth oblige vs to loue our bodies conueniently in so much as they are necessarie to good works as they make a part of our person and as they shall be participant of eternall felicitie Certes a Christian is to loue his bodie as a liuing Image of our Sauiour incarnate as issue of the same stocke and consequently of his kindred and consanguinitie especially after we haue renewed the alliance by receiuing really the diuine bodie of our Redeemour in the most adorable Sacrament of the Altar and when by Baptisme Confirmation and other Sacraments we haue dedicated and consecrated our selues to the Soueraigne Goodnesse 3. But for the B. Virgine ô God with what deuotion was she to loue her virginall bodie not onely because it was a sweete humble pure bodie obeissant to diuine Loue and wholy embaumed with a thousand sacred sweetes but also for that it was the liuely source of our Sauiour's and did so strictly belong vnto him by an incomparable dependance For which cause when she gaue her angelicall bodie to the repose of sleepe goe to aied she repose ô TABERNACLE OF ALLIANCE ARKE OF SANCTITIE THRONE OF THE DIVINITIE ease thy selfe a little of thy wearinesse and repaire thy forces by this sweete repose 4. Besides deare THEO doe you not know that bad dreames voluntarily procured by the dayes depraued thoughtes are in some sort sinnes in so much as they are dependances and executiōs of the precedent malice euē so the dreames which proceede from the holy affections of such as are a wake be reputed vertuous and holy O God THEO what a consolation it is to heare S. CHRYSOSTOME recounting on a certaine day to his people the vehemencie of his loue towards them the necessitie of sleepe quoth he pressing my eye-lids the tyrannie of my loue towards you doth excite the eyes of my mind and euen while I sleepe me thinks I speake vnto you for the soule is wonte in sleepe to see by imagination what she thought in the day time so while we see not one an other with the eyes of flesh we supplie it with the eyes of Charitie O sweete IESVS what dreames was thy sacred Mother to haue when she sleept her heart watching Did she not dreame that she had thee yet folded in her wombe as thou wa'st for nine monthes space or else hanging at her breasts and pretily pressing the sacred nible of her virginall dugge Ah what sweetenesse was in this soule
Paraduenture she dreamed that as our Sauiour had often sleept in her bosome as a tender lampkin vpon his mothers flanke so she sleept in his pearced side as a WHITE DOVE in the caue of an assured rocke so that her sleepe was wholy like to an extasie according to the operation of the spirit though to the bodie it was a sweete and gracious rest and repose But if euer she dreamed as did the auncient Ioseph of her future greatenesse when in heauen she should be clothed with the Sunne crowned with starrs aÌ„d the moone at her feete that is wholy enuironed with her sonnes glorie crowned with that of the Saints and the world vnder her or else if as Iacob she saw the progresse and fruite of her sonnes Redemption for the loue of Angells and men THEO who could euer imagine the immensitie of so great delightes ô what confereÌ„ces with her deare child what deliciousnesse from euery side 5. But marke I pray you that I neither doe nor will saie that this so priuileged a Soule of the Mother of God was depriued of the vse of reason in her sleepe Many are of opinion that Salomon in that rare yea and true dreame in which he demanded and receiued the gift of incomparable wisdome did truely exercise his free-will by reason of the iudicious eloquence of the discourse he made of his choice full of discretion and the most excellent Praier which he vsed and all these without any mixture of impertinences or distractioÌ„s of mind But how much more reason is there that the mother of the true Salomon had the vse of reason in her sleepe that is to saie as Salomon himselfe made her speake that her heart watched while she slept Surely it was a farre greater maruell that S. IOHN had the exercise of reason in his mothers wombe And why then should we denie her a lesse for whom and to whom God did more fauours then either he hath or shall doe for all creaturs besides 6. To conclud as the precious stone Abeston doth by a perlelesse proprietie conserue for euer the fire which it hath conceiued So the virgin-Mothers heart remained perpetually inflamed with holy loue which she receiued pf her sonne yet with this difference that the Abestons fire as it cannot be extinguished so it cannot be augmeÌ„ted but the virgins sacred flames sith they could neither perish diminish nor remaine in the same estate neuer ceased to take vncredible encrease euen vnto heauen the place of their origine So true it is that this Mother is the Mother of FAIRE DILECTION that is as the most amiable so the most louing and as the most louing so the most beloued mother of this onely sonne who againe is the most amiable most louing and most beloued sonne of this onely Mother A Preparation to the discourse of the vnion of the Blessed with God CHAPTER IX 1. THe triumphant loue which the Blessed in heauen doe exercise consisteth in the finall vnuariable and eternall vnion of the soule with God But what is this vnion 2. By how much more agreeable and excellent obiects our senses meete withall by so much more ardently aÌ„d greedily they giue themselues to the fruition of them By how much more faire delightfull to the veiw and duely lightened they are by so much the eye doth more eagarly aÌ„d liuely behould them and by how much more sweete and pleasant voices or musicke are the attention of the eare is more drawen vnto them So that euery obiect doth exercise a puissant yet amiable violence vpon its proper senses a violence lesse or more strong according as the excellencie is lesse or greater prouided alwayes that it be proportionable to the capacitie of the SeÌ„se which desires to enioy it for the eye which doth please it selfe so much in light cannot yet support the extreamitie of it nor fixe it selfe vpon the sunne And be musicke neuer so sweete if loude and too nigh it doth importune and offend our eares TRVTH is the obiect of our vnderstanding and consequently takes no other content then to discouer and know the truth of things as TRVTH is more excellent so the vnderstanding doth applie it selfe more deliciously and attentiuely to the consideration of it What pleasure thinke you had these auncient Philosophers who had so excellent a knowledge of so many faire TRVTHES in nature Verily they reputed all pleasurs as nothing in comparison of their well beloued Philosophie for which some of them quitted honours others great riches others their countrie yea some there were who deliberatly pulled out their eyes depriuing themselues for euer of the fruition of the faire eÌ„d agreeable corporall light that with more libertie they might applie themselues to the consideration of the veritie of things by a spirituall light for so we reade of Democrites So delicious is the knowledge of truth Hence it was frequent with Aristotle that humane Felicitie and Beatitude coÌ„sisteth in wisdome which is the knowledge of eminent truth 3. But when our mind raised aboue naturall lights begins to see the sacred truthes of faith ô God THEO what ioy the soule melts with pleasure hearing the voice of her heauenly Spouse whom she finds more sweete and delicious theÌ„ the honie of all humane knowledges 4. God hath imprinted vpon all things created his trace gate or foote-steppes so that the knowledge we haue of his diuine Maiestie by creaturs seemes no other thing then God's trace and that in coÌ„parison of it Faith is a veiw of the very face of the diuine Maiestie which we doe not yet see in the cleare day of Glorie but as it were in the breake of day as it happened to IACOB neere vnto the Torrent IABOC for though he saw not the Angell with whom he wrastled saue in the weake light of the day breake yet rauished with contentment he ceased not to crie I haue seene the Almightie face to face and my soule hath bene saued ô how delightfull is the holy light of faith by which we know by an infallible certitude not onely the historie of the beginning of creaturs and their true vse but euen that of the eternall birth of the great and soueraigne DIVINE WORD to and for whom all was made and who with the Father and the holy Ghost is one onely God most singular most adorable and blessed for euer Amen Ah! saieth S. HIEROME to his Paulina the learned Plato neuer knew this Eloquent Demosthenes was ignorant of it How sweete thy words are to my palace ô God quoth that great king sweeter then honie to my mouth was not our heart burning while he spoake to vs in the way saied those happie pilgrims of Emaus speaking of the flames of loue with which they were touched by the word of faith But if diuine TRVTâ—ES be so sweete being proposed in the obscure light of faith ô God what shall they be when we shall contemplat them in the light of the noone-day of glorie 5. The Queene of Saba
to be fed with the Diuine substance it selfe taken into our soule by the mouth of our vnderstanding and that which passeth all delight is that as mothers are not contented in feeding their babes with their milke which is their owne substance â—f they doe not also put the nible of their dugge into their mouthes that they might not receiue their substance in a spoone or other instrument but euen in and by their owne substance it seruing as well for foode as a conduite to conuey it to the deere little suckling So God our Father is not contented to make vs receiue his proper substance in our vnderstanding that is to make vs see his Diuinitie but by an Abisse of his sweetenesse himselfe will applie his substance to our soule to th' end that we might no longer vnderstand by species or representation but in it selfe and by it selfe so that his fatherly and eternall substance is both SPECIES and OBIECT to our vnderstanding Then these diuine promisses shal be practised in an excellent manner I will leade her into the solitude and speake vnto her heart and giue her sucke reioyce with Hierusalem in ioye that you may drink and be filled with the dugge of his consolation and that you may sucke and be delighted with the whole abundance of his glorie you shall be carried to the Pap and be lulled vpon the knee 4. Infinite blisse THEOT And which was not promised onely but we haue earnest of it in the Blessed Sacrament that perpetuall Feast of Diuine Grace For in it we receiue the blood of our Sauiour in his flesh and his flesh in his blood his blood being applied vnto vs by meanes of his flesh his substance by his substance euen to our corporall mouth to th' end we might know that so he will applie vnto vs his Diuine essence in the eternall Feast of his Glorie True it is this fauour is really done vnto vs euen here but couertly vnder SACRAMENTALL SPECIES AND APPARENCES whereas in heauen the Diuinitie will giue himselfe openly and we shall see him face to face as he is Of the eternall vnion of the blessed spirits with God in the vision of the eternall birth of the Sonne of God CHAPTER XII 1. O Holy and diuine Spirit eternall Loue of the Father and the Sonne be propitious to myne infancie Our vnderstanding shall then see God THEO yes it shall see God face to face contemplating by a view of true and reall presence the Diuine essence it selfe and in it the infinite beauties thereof all-power all-goodnesse all-wisdome all-iustice and the rest of this Abisse of perfections 2. The vnderstanding then shall clearely see the infinite knowledge which God the Father had from all eternitie of his owne beautie for the expression of which in himselfe he pronounced and saied eternally the MOT the WORD or the most singular and most infinite speech or diction which comprising and representing all the perfection of the Father can be but one same God most one with him without diuision or separation We shall then also see that eternall and admirable generation of the diuine WORD and Sonne by which he was eternally borne to the image and likenesse of the Father a liuelie and naturall Image and likenesse not representing any accidents nor extrinsicall thing sith in God all is Substance nor can there be any accident all is interiour nor can ther be there any exteriour thing but an image representing the proper substance so liuely so naturally as well essentially as substantially that therfore it can be no other thing then the same God with him without distinction or differeÌ„ce at all either in essence or substance saue onely the distinction of persons for how could it be that this diuine sonne was the true liuelily liuely truely naturall image resemblance and figure of the infinite beautie and substance of the Father if it did not represent infinitly to the life and nature the infinite perfections of the Father and how could it infinitly represent infinite perfections if it were not infinitly perfect and how could it be infinitly perfect if it were not God and how could it be God if it were not the same God with the Father 3. The sonne then the infinite image and figure of his infinite Father is one onely God most singular and infinite with his Father there being no difference of substance betwixt them but onely the distinction of persons which distinction of persons as it is wholy necessarie so it is most sufficient to this that the Father pronounce and that the sonne should be the word pronounced that the Father speake and the Sonne be the word or the diction that the Father expresse and the Sonne be the image liknesse or figure expressed and in somme that the Father be Father and the Sonne Sonne two distinct persons but one onely Essence or Diuinitie so that God who is sole is not solitarie for he is sole in his most singular and simple Deitie yet is not solitarie because he is Father and Sonne in two persons O THEO what ioye what iubelie in the celebritie of this eternall birth keept in the SpleÌ„dour of Saints keept in seeing it and seene in keeping it 4. Milde S. BERNARD as yet a young child at Chatillon vpon Seine on Christmasse Eue expected in the Church while they begun the diuine Office and in this expectation the poore child fell into a light slumber meanewhile ô God what sweetenesse he saw in SPIRIT yet in a vision very distinct and cleare how the Sonne of God hauing espoused humane nature and becoming a little child in his mothers most pure entrals sprung virginally from her sacred wombe with a heauanly Maiestie masked in an humble mildenesse As Spouse who in a royall guise From mariage bed doth ioyfull rise A Vision THEO which did so replenish the little BERNARDS louely heart with content iubilation and spirituall dainties that he had all his life an extreame sense of it and therefore though after as a sacred Bee he daily culled out of all the diuine mysteries the honie of a thousand sweete aÌ„d heauenly consolations yet had he a more particular sweetenesse in the solemnitie of the Natiuitie and spoake with a singular gust of this birth of his Maister But alas I beseech thee THE if a mysticall and imaginarie vision of the temporall and humane birth of the Sonne of God by which he proceeded man from a woman virgin from a virgin doth rauish and so highly content the heart of a child what shall it be when our minds lightned with the â—ight of glorie shall see this eternall birth by which the Sonne doth proceede GOD from GOD LIGHT from LIGHT a TRVE GOD from a TRVE GOD diuinely and eternally then shall our minds be ioyned by an incomprehensible complacence to this obiect of delight and by an vnchangeable attention shall remaine vnited to it for euer Of the vnion of the Blessed with God in the vision of the Holy Ghost's
be enticed by any thing that hath a shew of good and temptations hooke is still baited with this kind of baite for as holy writ doth teach there is either some honorable good in the worlds sight to moue vs to the pride of a wordly life or a good delightfull to sense to carrie vs to carnall concupiscence or a good able to enrich vs to incite vs to auarice and couetousnesse of the eyes But if we keepe faith which can discerne betwixt the true Good we are to pursue and the false which we are to reiect liuelily attetiue to its office without doubt it will be a faithfull Sentinell to Charitie and will giue her intelligence of the euill that might approch the heart vnder colour of Good and Charitie would sodenly repulse it But because ordinarily we keepe our faith either a sleepe or lesse attentiue theÌ„ were requisite for the conseruation of Charitie we are often surprised by temptation which seducing our senses and they inciting the inferiour part of our soule to rebellioÌ„ it comes to passe eftsones that the superiour part of reason yeeldes to the violence of this reuoult and by committing the sinne looseth Charitie 4. Such was the progresse of the sedition which the disloiall Absolon stirred vp against his good Father DAVID for he laied before the people faire propositions in apparence which being receiued by the poore Israelites whose prudence was put a sleepe and smothered he did sollicite them in such sort that he wrought them to an entire rebellion so that the monefull Dauid was coÌ„strained to depart from Hierusalem with all his faithfull friends leauing there none of qualitie saue Sadoc and Abiathar Priests of the Almightie with their children now Sadoc was SEEING that is to saie a Prophet 5. For so most deare THEO selfe-loue finding our faith without attention and drowsie it presents vnto it vaine yet apparent goods seduceth our sense our imagination and the faculties of our soules and laies so hard at our free-wills that it brings them to an entire reuoult against the holy loue of God which then as a DAVID departs from our heart with all his traine that is with the gifts of the holy Ghost and the other heauenly vertues which are the inseparable companions of Charitie if not her proprieties and abilities nor doth there remaine in the HERVSALEM of our soule any vertue of importance sauing Sadoc the SEEING that is the gift of faith which by her exercise can make vs see eternall things and with him Abiathar that is the gift of hope with her action both which remaine much afflicted and sorrowfull yet maintaining in vs the Arch of Alliance that is the qualitie and tile of a Câ—RISTIAN purchased by Baptisme 6. Alas THEO what a pitifull spectacle is it to the Angels of peace to see the holy Ghost and his loue depart in this maÌ„ner out of our sinfull soules verily I think if they could weepe they would poure out infinite teares and with a mornefull voice lamenting our mishape would sing the Threnes which Ieremie throbed out when set vpon the threshold of the desolate Temple he contemplated the ruine of Hierusalem in the time of SEDECIAS Ah! with what griefe doe I behold HIERVSALEM famous of old For good and honorable men Of horror now become a den That heauenly loue is lost in a moment CHAPTER IV. 1. THe loue of God which brings vs to a neglect of our selues makes vs Citizens of the heauenly HierusaleÌ„ selfe-loue which pusheth vs forwards to the contempt of God makes vs slaues of the infernall Babilon True it is we come by little aÌ„d little to despise God but we haue no sooner done it but presently in a moment holy charitie doth forsake vs or rather she doth wholy perish I THEO for in the contempt of God doth mortall sinne consist and one onely mortall sinne doth banish Charitie from the soule for so much as it doth violate her tye and vnion with God which is obedience and submission to his will and as mans heart cannot liue diuided so Charitie which is the heart of the soule and the soule of the heart caÌ„ neuer be wounded but she is slaine as they saie of pearles which being conceiued of heauenly dâ—we doe perish if any drope of salte water get into their shell Indeede our soule doth not goe out of our bodie by little aÌ„d little but in a moment when the bodies indispositions are so great that she can no longer exercise the actions of life therein euen so at the very instant in which the heart is so disordered by passions that Charitie there can no longer raigne she quits and abandons it for she is so generous that she cannot leaue to raigne without leauing to liue 2. Habits gotten by human actions alone doe not perish by one onely contrarie act for a man is not saied to be intemperate for one onely act of intemperance nor is a painter held an vnskilfull maister for hauing once failed in his arte but as all such habits are gotten by the impression and in sequele of diuers acts so we loose them by a long cessation from their acts or by many contrarie acts But Charitie THEO which in a moment the holy Ghost poures into our hearts as soone as the conditions requisit to this infusion meete in vs is also in an instant expelled thence as soone as diuerting our will from the obedience due vnto God we haue accomplished consent to the rebellion and disloialtie to which temptation incites vs. 3. True it is Charitie encreaseth by degrees and goeth from perfection to perfection according as by our works or by the frequenting of Sacraments we make it place yet doth it not decrease by a lessening of perfection thereof for we neuer loose any bit of it but we loose it all In which it resembles PHIDIAS his Maister-peece so famous amongst the Auncients for they saie this great Grauer made in AtheÌ„s a picture of Minerua of Iuorie twentie seauen cubits high and in her Buckler wherein he expressed the battails of the Amasons and Giants he graued his owne picture with so great Arte that one could not take away one iot of it saieth Aristotle without defacing the whole statue so that this worke though it was perfected by adding peice to peice yet in a moment might be destroied by remouing any little parcell of the workmans feature In like maner THE though the Holy Ghost hauing infused Charitie into a soule doth eÌ„crease it by adding one degree to another and one perfection of loue to another yet so as that the resolution to preferre God's will before all things being the essentiall point of holy loue and that wherein the image of eternall loue that is of the Holy Ghost is represented one cannot withdraw one onely peece of it but presently Charitie doth wholy perish 4. This preference of God before all things is the deare child of Charitie And if AGAR being an Egiptian seeing her sonne in danger of death
had not the heart to stay by him but would haue left him saying ah I am not able to see this child dye is it strang then that Charitie the daughter of sweetenesse and heauenly delight cannot see her child dye which is a Resolution neuer to offend God so that still as free-will resolues to consent to sinne and therein killeth this holy resolution Charitie dyes with it fighing out these last words alas no neuer will I see this child dye In fine THE as the precious stone called PRASSIVS looseth its luster in the presence of any poison so in an instant the soule looseth her splendour grace and beautie which consisteth of holy loue vpon the entrie and presence of any mortall sinne whence it is written that the soule who sinneth shall dye That the sole cause of the decay and slackening of Charitie is in the creaturs will CHAPTER V. 1. AS it were a most wicked impudencie to attribute the works of holy loue done by the holy ghost in and with vs to the strength of our will so were it a shamelesse impietie to lay the defect of loue in vngratfull men on the want of heauenly assistance and grace For the holy Ghost cries in euery place to the contrarie that our ruine is from our selues that our Sauiour brought the fire of loue and desires nothing but that it should burne our hearts That saluation is prepared before the face of all nations light to lighten the gentiles and for the glorie of Israel That the diuine goodnesse would haue none to perish but that all come to the knowledge of truth that all be saued their Sauiour being come into the world that euery one might receiue the adoption of children And the wiseman doth clearely aduertise vs. Saie not it stikes of God And the sacred Concell of TreÌ„t doth inculcate diuinely to all the children of the holy Church that the Grace of God is neuer awaÌ„ting to such as doe what they can inuoking the diuine assistance That God doth neuer abandon such as he hath once iustified vnlesse they abandon him first So that if they be not a wanting to grace they shall obtaine glorie 2. In fine THEO our Sauiour is a light which doth illuminate euery one that comes into the world Diuers trauellers in a summers day about noone-tyde lay downe to repose in the shade of a tree but while their wearinesse aÌ„d the coolenesse of the shadowe keepes them a sleepe the Sunne aduancing himselfe towards them gaue iust vpon their eies his strongest light which by the glitter of his brightnesse made transparences as with smale raies about the Aple of those sleepers eyes and by the heate which pearced their eyelids forced them by a gentle violence to awake but some of them being awaked got vp and aduancing came happily to their lodging the rest did not onely not rise but turning their backes to the sunne and pulling their hats ouer their eyes there spent the day in sleeping till surprised by night being yet willing to make towards their lodging they straied hither and thither in the Forest at the mercy of mercilesse wolues and other sauage beastes Now tell me I praie THEO those that arriued ought they not to asscribe all their contentment to the sunne or to speak like a Christian to the sunns Creatour yes surely for it was high time and yet they dream't not of rising the sunne did them this good office and by a gentle warning of his light and heate came louingly to call them vp T' is true they resisted not his call but he also helped them much euen in that for he spred his light fairely vpon them giuing them a glimps of himselfe through their eyelids and by his heate as by his loue opened their eyes and vrged them to see his day 3. Contrariwise these poore strayers were they not to blame to crie in the woode Alas what haue we done to the sunne that he made vs not see his light as he did our Companions that we might haue arriued at our lodgings and not haue wandred in these hideous obscurities for who would not vndertake the sunns or rather Gods cause my deare THEO to answere these vnfortunate wretches What is it ô you wretches in a manner that the sunne could doe for you and did not his fauours were equall to all yee that slept He essaied you all with the same light touched you with the same raie scattered vpon you a like heate and accursed that you are though you saw your companions rise take their pilgrims stafe to gaine way you turned your backes to the sunne and would not make vse of his light nor be ouercome by his heate 4. See see now THEO what I would saie we are all pilgrims in this mortall life almost all of vs haue willingly slept in sinne God the sunne of Iustice darts vpon vs most sufficiently yea abundantly the beames of his inspirations warmes our hearts with his benedictions touching euery one with the allurements of his loue ah how chance it then that these allurements allure so few and yet draw fewer ah certainly such as first allured afterwards drawen doe follow the inspiration haue great occasion to ioye but not to glorie in it Let them ioye because they enioy a great good yet let them not glorie in it because it is by Gods pure goodnesse who leauing them the profit of their good worke reserues to himselfe the glorie thereof 5. But touching them that remaine in the sleepe of sinne ô what good reason they haue to lament sorrow weepe repent for they are in a most lamentable case yet haue they no reason to sorrow or complaine saue of themselues who despised yea rebelled against light were vntractable by inuitations and obstinate against inspirations so that malediction and confusion ought to follow their malice for euer they onely being authours of their ruine onely workers of their damnation So the Iaponians complaining to S. ZAVâ—RIVS their Apostle that God who had had so much care of other nations seemed to haue forgotten their predecessours not hauing giuen them the knowledge of himselfe by the want whereof they were lost The good man answered them that the diuine naturall law was engrauen in the hearts of all mortalls which if their forerunners had obserued the light of heauen had without doubt illuminated them as contrariwise hauing violated it they merited damnation An apostolicall answere of an Apostolicall man and resembling the reason giuen by the great Apostle of the losse of the auncient gentils whom he calles inexcusable for that hauing knowen good they followed euill for it is in a worde that which he doth inculcate in the first of his Epistles to the Romans miserie vpon miserie be vnto such as doe not acknowledge that their owne miserie proceeds from their malice That we ought to ackowledge the loue we beare to God to be from God CHAPTER VI. 1. THe loue of men towards God takes his beeing progresse and perfection from
admirable in their Maiestie if they were set at a lesse distance with our capacitie 4. Let vs crie out then THEO in all occurrences but let it be with an affectionat heart towards the most wise most puissant and most sweete prouidence of our eternall father O the depth of the riches wisdome ād knowledge of God O Sauiour IHESVS THEOT how excessiue are the riches of of the diuine goodnesse His loue towards vs is an incomprehensible Abisse whence he hath prouided for vs a rich sufficiencie or rather a rich abundance of meanes proper for our saluation ād sweetely to applie them he makes vse of a soueraigne wisdome hauing by his infinit knowledge foreseene and knowen all that was requisite to that effect Ah what can we feare nay rather what ought not we to hope for being the children of a father so rich in goodnesse to loue and desire to saue vs so vnderstanding to prouide meanes cōueniēt so wise to applie thē so good to will so cleare sighted to ordaine and so prudent to execute 5. Let vs neuer permit our minds to flutter by curiositie about Gods iudgemēts for as little Butterflies we shall burne our wings ād perish in this sacred flame These iudgmēts are incōprehensible or as S. GREGORIE Nazianzen saieth inscrutable that is one cannot search and sound the motiues the meanes and wayes by which he doth execute and finish them cannot be discerned and knowen And though the power of smelling be neuer so perfect in vs yet shall we at euery turne be at default not finding the sent for who can penetrate the sense the vnderstanding and intention of God Who was euer his Consellour to know his purposes and their motiues or who did euer preuent him with seruice Is it not he contrariwise who doth preuent vs in the benedictions of his grace to crowne vs with the felicitie of his glorie ah THEO all things are from him as being their Creatour all things are by him as being their Gouernour all things are in him as being their Protectour To him be honour for euer and euer Let vs walke in peace THEO in the waye of holy loue for he that shall enioye diuine loue in dying after death shall enioye loue eternally Of a certaine remainder of loue which oftentimes stayes in the soule that hath lost Charitie CHAPTER IX 1. THe life of a man who languishing on his deathes bed by little and little decaies doth hardly deserue to be termed life sith that though it be life yet is it so mingled with death that it is hard to saie whether it is a death as yet liuing or a life dying Alas how pitifull a spectacle it is THE but farre more lamentable is the state of a soule which vngratfull to her Sauiour goes hourely backward withdrawing her-selfe from God's loue by certaine degrees of indeuotion and disloyaltie till at length hauing quite forsaken it she is left in the horrible obscuritie of perdition and this loue which is in it's declining and which fades and perisheth is called imperfect loue because though it be entire in the soule yet seemes it not to be entirely that is it hardly keepes in the soule any longer but is vpon the point of forsaking it Now Charitie being separated from the soule by sinne there remaines oftentimes a certaine resemblance of Charitie which doth deceiue and put vs into a vaine muse and I will tell you what it is Charitie while it is in vs produceth many actions of loue towards God by the frequent exercise whereof our soule gets a habit and custome of louing God which is not Charitie but onely an impression and inclination which the multitude of actions leaues in our hearts 2. After a long habit of preaching or saying Masse deliberatly it happens often that in dreaming we vtter and speake the same things which we would saie in preaching or celebrating so that custome and habit acquired by election and vertue is in some sort afterward practised without election or vertue sith the actions of such as sleepe generally speaking haue nothing of vertue saue onely an apparent image and are onely the similitudes or representations thereof So charitie by the multitude of actes which she produceth doth imprīt in vs a certaine facilitie to loue which she leaues in vs euē after we are depriued of her presence I remember when I was a young scholler that in a village neare Paris there was a certaine well with an ECHO which would repeate the words that we pronoūced by it diuers times And if some Idiote without experience had heard this repetition of words he would haue beleeued that there had bene some bodie in the botome of the well who had done it But we had euen then knowen by Philosophie that none was in the well to reiterate our words but that there were onely certaine concauities in some one whereof our voices were assembled ād not finding through passage least they might altogether perish and not imploy the force that was left them they produced secōd voices ād they gathering together in an other cōcauitie produced a third the third a fourth ād so consequetly to the eleauenth so that those voices heard in the well were not now our voices but resemblances and images of the same And indeede there was a great difference betwixt our voices and those For when we made a long continuance of words we had but some few of them rendred by the ECHO shortning the pronunciation of syllables which she slightly passed ouer with tones and accents quite different from ours nor did she begin to forme her words till we had quite pronounced them In fine they were not words of a liuing man but as one would saie the words of any emptie and vaine Rocke which notwithstanding did so well counterfeit man's voice whence she sprung that a simple bodie would haue bene misled and beguiled by her 3. Now this is it that I would saie when holy CHARITIE meets a pliable soule wherein she doth long reside she produceth a second loue which is not a loue of Charitie though it issue from Charitie but it is a humane loue which is yet so like to Charitie that though she leaues behind this her picture and likenesse which doth so represent her that one who were ignorant would be deceiued therein not vnlike to the birds on Zeuxis his painted raysins which they deemed to be true raysins so generally had Art imitated nature And yet there is a faire difference betwixt Charitie and humane loue which she doth beget in vs for the voice of Charitie doth pronoūce denoūce and worke in our hearts Gods Commandments humane loue which remaines after her doth indeede pronounce the commandments and denounceth sometimes all of them yet doth neuer effect them all but some few onely Charitie doth pronounce and put together all the sillables that is all the circumstances of Gods commandments humane Loue alwayes leaues out some of them especially straightnesse and puritie of
loyall feeling we are to thanke God for it For this feeling is alwayes good howbeit we are to keepe our selues betwixt a confidence and diffidence hoping that by Gods grace we should doe in the occasion that which we imagined and yet still fearing that following our ordinarie miserie peraduenture we should performe nothing but loose courage but if the diffidence should waxe so excessiue that it seemed to vs that we should neither haue force nor heart and thereby we should fale into dispaire vpon the subiect of imaginarie temptations as though we were not in Charitie and in Gods grace then in despight of our feeling and discouragement we were to make resolution of a great fidelitie in all occurrences euen to the temptation which troubles vs hoping that when it shall happen God will multiplie his grace redouble his succours and afforde vs all necessarie assistāce and while he giues vs not the force for an imaginarie and vnnecessarie warre he will giue it vs when it comes to the deede For as many haue lost courage in the assault so many haue also lost feare and haue taken heart and resolution in the presence of danger and difficultie which in their absence they had neuer done And so many of Gods seruants representing vnto themselues absent temptations haue bene affrighted at them euen almost to the loosing of courage which when they saw present they behaued themselues couragiously Finally in the amazements which rise from the representation of future assaults when we apprehend that our heart failes vs it is sufficiēt that we haue a desire of courage and confidence that God will bestowe it vpon vs when time shall exact Nor had SAMSON alwayes his strength but it is noted in the Scripture that the Lion of Tamathas vines comming towards him furiously and roring the Spirit of God seased him that is God gaue him the motion of a new force and a new courage and he tore the Lion in pieces as a Gote and in like manner when he defeated the thousand Philistians which thought to haue defeated him in the field of Lechi So my deare THEO it is not necessarie that we haue alwayes the sense and motion of courage requisite to surmoūt the roring Lion which goeth roring hither and thither to deuoure vs this might administer vs occasion of vanitie and pre umption It is sufficiant that we haue a good desire to fight valliently a perfect confidence that the holy Ghost will assist vs with his helping hand when occasion shall present it selfe The end of the fourth Booke THE FIFT BOOKE OF THE TVVO PRINCIPALE EXERCISES OF HOLY LOVE performed by complacence and beneuolence Of the sacred Complacence of Loue and first in what it consisteth CHAPTER I. I. LOVE as we haue saied is no other thing then the motion and gliding of the heart towards good by meanes of the complacēce which one takes in it so that complacence is the great motiue of loue as loue is the great motion of complacence 2. Now this motion is practised towards God in this manner We know by faith that the Diuinitie is an incomprehensible Abisse of all perfection soueraignely infinite in excellencie and infinitly soueraigne in boūtie And this truth which faith teacheth vs is attentiuely considered by meditation beholding the immensitie of goods which are in God either in grosse by assembling all the perfections or in particular by considering his excellences one after another for exāple his All-power his All-wisdome his All-goodnesse his Eternitie his Infinitie Now when we haue brought our vnderstanding to be very attentiue to the greatnesse of the Goods that are in this diuine obiect it is impossible but our will should be touched with complacence in this good and then we vse the libartie and power which we haue ouer our selues prouoking our owne heart to answere and strengthen this first complacence by acts of approbation and reioycing O saieth the deuote soule in this case how faire thou art my well-beloued how faire thou art thou art wholy desireable yea thou art desire it selfe Such is my well-beloued ād he is the friend of my heart ô daughters of Hierusalem ô blessed be my God for euer who is so good ah whether I liue or die too happie I am in knowing that my God is so rich in all Goodnesse that his Goodnesse is so infinite his infinitie so good 3. Thus approuing the good which we see in God and ioying in it we make an act of loue which is called complacence for we please our selues in the diuine pleasure infinitly more then in our owne and it is this loue which rendred so much content to the Saints when they could meete with the perfections of their well-beloued and which caused thē to pronoūce with so much delight that God was God Goe to knowe saied they that our Lord is God ô God my God my God thou art my God the God of my heart and my God is the part of myne inheritance for euer He is the God of our heart by this cōplacence sith by it our heart doth embrace him and makes him it 's owne he is our inheritāce because by this act we enioye the goods which are in God ād as from an inheritance we haue from it all pleasure and content by meanes of this complacence we drinke and eate spiritually the perfections of the Diuinitie for we make them our owne and draw them into our hearts 4. IACOBS owes drew into their entrals the varietie of colours which they saw in the fountaine wherein they were watered when they were a rāming for in effect their young lambes were therevpon spotted so a soule taken with the pleasing complacence which she takes in considering the Diuinitie and in it an infinitie of excellences she drawes the colours thereof into her heart that is to saie the multitude of wonders and perfections which she doth contemplate and makes them her owne by the contentment which she takes therein 5. O God what ioye shall we haue in heauen THEO when we shall see the well-beloued of our hearts as an infinite sea whose waters are perfection and goodnesse Then as Harts much pursued and spent putting their mouthes to a cleare and coole fountaine doe draw into thē the coolenesse of these faire waters so our hearts after so many languishments and desires meeting with the strong and liuing source of the diuinitie shall draw by their complacence all the perfections of the well-beloued and shall haue the perfect fruition of them by the ioye which they shall take in them replenishing themselues with those immortall delightes and in this wise the deare Spouse will enter into vs as into his mariage bed to communicate his eternall ioye vnto our soules according as he himselfe saieth that if we keepe the holy law of his loue he will come and seiourne with vs. Such is the sweete and noble robberie of Loue who without vncolouring the well-beloued doth colour it selfe with his colours without disrobing him inueste
to the end I may praise thy holy name the iuste expects me till thou restorest vnto me my desired repose Behold THEO I beseech you this soule who as a heauenly Nightingale shut vp in the cage of his bodie in which it cannot at wish sing the benedictions of his eternall loue knowes that he could better recorde and practise his melodious ditties if he could gaine the aire enioye the freedome and societie of other Philomels amongst the gaie and flowrie hillockes of the Land of the Blessed and thence he cries alas o Lord of my life ah by thy wholy sweete bountie deliuer my pouertie out of the cage of my bodie free me from this little prison to th' end that released from this bondage I may flie to my deare companions who expect me aboue in heauen to make me one of their Quiers and enuirone me with their ioye the Almightie according my voice to theirs I with them will make vp a sweete harmonie of delicious aires and accēts singing praising and blessing thy mercy This admirable Saint as an Orator who would end and cōclude all he had saied in some short sentence made this the happie periode of all his wishes and desires whereof these last words were a Breefe Words to which his soule was so fixed that in breathing them he breathed his last My God THEO what a sweete and deare death was this a happily louing death a holily mortall loue How we practise the LOVE OF BENEVOLENCE in the praises which our Sauiour and his mother giue to God CHAPTER XI 1. VVE ascend then stepe by stepe in this holy exercise by the creaturs which we inuite to praise God passing from the sensible to the reasonable and intellectuall and from the Church militant to the triumphant in which we raise our selues vp to the Angels and Saints till aboue them all we haue met with the most sacred virgin who in a matchlesse manner doth praise and magnifie the Diuinitie more highly holily and deliciously then all the other creaturs together are able 2. Being two yeares agoe at Milan whither the veneration of the fresh memorie of the great Archbishope S. CHARLES had drawen me with certaine of our Church-men we heard in diuers Churches diuers sorts of musike but in a Monasterie of Nunnes we heard a Religious woman whose voice was so admirably delicious that she alone filled our minds with more delight incomparably then all the rest together which though otherwise excellent yet seemed they to serue onely to giue luster and raise the perfection and grace of this singular voice So THEO amongst all the Quires of men and Angels the most sacred Virgine's loftie voice is heard which raised aboue all renders more praise to God then doe all the other creaturs And indeede the Heauenly king inuites her to sing in a particular manner shew me thy face saieth he my well-beloued let thy voice sound in my eares for thy voice is entirely sweete and thy face wholy faire 3. But the praises which this Mother of honour and faire dilection together with all the creaturs giues to the Diuinitie though excellent and admirable come yet so short of the infinite merite of Gods goodnesse that they carrie no proportion with it and therefore albeit they meruellously please the louing heart 's holy beneuolence to the well-beloued yet doe they not saciate it Wherefore it goes forward and inuites our Sauiour to praise and glorifie his eternall Father with all the Benedictions which a Sonnes loue can fournish him withall And then THEO the soule is put to silence being able onely to admire O what a Canticle is this of the Sonne to his Father ô how faire this deare well-beloued is amongst all the children of men ô how sweete is his voice as issuing from the lipps vpon which the fulnesse of grace was poured All the others are perfumed but he is the perfume it selfe the others are embaumed but he is Baulme poured out the eternall receiues others praises as smells of peculiar flowres but vpon the odour of the praises which our Sauiour giues him doubtlesse he cries out ô these are the odours of my sonns praises as the odour of a field full of flowres which I haue blessed I my deare THEO all the Benedictions which the Church militant and triumphant offers to God are Angelicall and humane benedictions for beit they are addressed to the Creatour yet proceede they from a Creature but the Sonns are diuine for they doe not onely tend to God as the others but they flow from God the Redeemour being true God they are not onely diuine in respect of their end but of their beginning diuine because they tend to God diuine because they issue from God God prouokes the soule endewing her with sufficient grace for the production of other praises But the Redeemour being God produceth his owne himselfe and thence they are infinite 4. He that in a morning for a good space hauing heard in the neighbour woods the sweete chaunting of a great companie of Canarie birdes Linnets Goldfinches and such like little birdes should in the end heare a Maister Nightingale who in perfect melodie would fill the aire and eare with her admirable voice doubtlesse he would preferre this one grouie Chaunter before the whole Quires of the others So hauing heard all the praises which so many different sorts of of creaturs in emulation of one another renders vnanimously to their Creatour when at length one markes that of our Sauiour they find in it a certaine infinitie of merite valour sweetenesse which passe all hope and expectation of heart and the soule as awaked out of a deepe sleepe is then sodenly rauished with extreamitie of the sweetenesse of that melodie ah I heare it ô the voice the voice of my well-beloued The Queene-voice of all voices a voice in comparison wherof all the other voices are but a dume and sad silence See how this deare friend doth spring out see how he comes tripping ouer the mountaines transcending the hills his voice is heard aboue the Seraphins and all other creaturs he hath the sight of a Goate to penetrate deeper then any other the beautie of the Sacred obiect which he desires to praise He loues the melodie of the glorie and praise of his Father more then all the rest and therefore he takes his Fathers praises and benedictions in a straine aboue them all Behold this diuine loue of the Beloued as he is clothed in his humanitie making hīselfe to be seene through the holes of his wounds and his open side as by windowes and as by lattises by which he lookes vpon vs. 5. Yes The Diuine Loue being seated vpon our Sauiours heart as vpon his royall Throne beholds through the passage of his pearced side all the hearts of the sonnes of mē for this heart being the king of hearts keepes his eye still fixed vpon hearts But as those that looke through a lattise doe plainely discouer others and yet are not
contrarie to corporall drunkennesse doth not alienate vs from spirituall but from corporall sense not dulling or besotting vs but Angelizing and in a sort Deifying vs putting vs out of our selues not to abase vs and ranke vs with beastes as doth terreane drūkennesse but to raise vs aboue our selues and range vs with Angels so that we might liue more in God then in our selues being attentiue and busied by loue to see his beautie and be vnited to his Bountie 4. Now whereas to attaine vnto contemplation we stand ordinarily in neede to heare the word of God to haue spirituall discourse and conference with others as had the auncient Ancorets to reade deuote bookes to praie meditate sing canticles conceiue good thoughtes for this reason holy contemplation being the end and aime of all these exercises they are all reduced vnto it and such as practise them are called CONTEMPLATIVES as allso the practise it selfe a CONTEMPLATIVE life by reason of the action of our vnderstanding by which we behold the veritie of the diuine Beautie and Bountie with an attention of loue that is with a loue that makes vs attentiue or with an attention which proceedes from loue and augments the loue which we haue to loue infinite sweetenesse Of the louing recollection of the SOVLE IN CONTEMPLATION CHAPTER VII 1. I Speake not here THEO of the recollection by which such as are about to praie vse to place themselues in God's presence entring into themselues and as one would saie retiring their soule with in their heart there to speake with God For this recollection is made by Lous commaund which prouoking vs to praie moues vs to serue our selues of this meanes to praie well so that we our selues are cause of this retiring of our soule But the recollection of which I meane to speake is not made by lous commaund but by loue it selfe that is we doe not make it by free choise it nor being in our power to haue it when we please not depending of our care but God at his pleasure works it in vs by his holy grace He saied the B. Mother Saint Teresa of IESVS who wrote that the Praier of Recollection is made as when an VRCHIN or TORTIS doe drawe themselues together saied well sauing that these beastes drawe themselues vp when they please whereas recollection is not in our will but onely when it pleaseth God of his grace to bestowe it vpon vs. 2. Now thus it is done Nothing is so naturall to good as to draw and vnite vnto it selfe such things as are sensible of it as doe our soules which draw continually and tend towards their treasure that is towards that which they loue Herevpon it fals out sometimes that our Sauiour doth imperceptibly poure into the bottome of our hearts a certaine agreeable sweetenesse in argumēt of his presence and then the powers yea the very exteriour senses of the soule by a certaine secrete contentment doe turne it vpon that inward part where the most amiable and dearest spouse is lodged For as a young swarme of Bees while they are ready to take flight and chang their countrie is recalled by the softe sound of a bason the smell of Metheglin or else by the sent of some odoriferous hearbs so that they staie by the inticements of these sweetes and enter into the hyue prepared for them So our Sauiour pronouncing some secret word of his loue or pouring out the odour of the wine of his dilection more delicious then honie or else streaming the perfumes of his garments that is some sense of diuine consolations in our heartes and therby making them perceiue his most gratefull presence he drawes vnto him all the faculties of our soule which gather about him and staie in him as in their most desired obiect And as he that should cast a peece of an Adamant amōgst many needles should instantly see them turne all their pointes towards their well-beloued Adamant and hang vpon it so when our Sauiour makes his delightfull presence to be felt in the midst of our heartes all our faculties turne their points that way to be vnited to that incomparable sweetenesse 3. O God saieth then the soule imitating S. AVGVSTINE whither doe I wander searching thee ô infinite Beautie I sought thee with out and thou wast in the midst of my heart All Magdalens affections and all her thoughtes were scattered about the Sepulcher of her Sauiour whom she went questing here and there and though indeede she had found him and he spoke to her yet leaues she them disperced because she doth not perceiue his presence but as soone as he had called her by name behold her gathered together and laied fast at his feete one onely word puts her into Recollection 4. Propose to your selfe THEOT the most holy Virgin our Lady when she had conceiued the Sonne of God her onely Loue the soule of this well-beloued mother doth wholy recollect it selfe about this well-beloued child and because this heauenly friend was harboured in her sacred entrals all the faculties of the soule doe gather thēselues within thēselues as holy bees into their hyue wherein their honie was And by how much the diuine greatnesse was by māner of speach more restrained ād lessened in the virginall wombe by so much her soule did more dilate it selfe ād magnifie the praises of that infinite clemencie and her Spirit within her bodie lept with ioye as S. IOHN in his mothers wombe in presence of his God which she felt She lanched not her affections out of her selfe sith that her loues her delightes were in the midest of her sacred wōbe Now this same contentmēt may be practised by imitatiō amōgst such as hauing communicated doe perceiue by the certaintie of faith that which neither flesh nor blood but the heauenly Father hath reuealed vnto them that their Sauiour is in bodie and soule present by a most reall presence to their bodie and soule in the most adorable Sacrament for as the Mother-pearle hauing receiued the fresh morning drops of dewe doth shut her selfe not onely to conserue them pure from all mixture of sea-water but also for the delight she taks to feele the gracious freshnesse of this gift from heauen so it fals out with diuers holy and deuote soules that hauing receiued the Blessed Sacrament which containes all the dewe of heauēly benedictions their soule shutteth it selfe and all her faculties are retired not onely to adore this soueraigne king newly present by an admirable presence in their breastes but also for the incredible consolation and spirituall refreshing which they receiue to perceiue by faith the diuine shute of immortalitie within them where you are diligently to note THEO that indeede all this recollection is made by loue which perceiuing the presence of the well-beloued by the baits it castes in the midest of the heart doth gather and drawe all the soule towards it by a most amiable inclination most sweete turning and most delicious winding of all
that weare his and he ours ô God how precious and vsefull a grace this is for vs 3. My deare THEO let vs yet take the libertie to frame another imagination If a STATVA placed in the galerie of some Prince by the STATVARIE were endewed with vnderstanding and reason and could discourse and talke and one should aske it saying tell me ô faire STATVA why art thou seated in this hole it would answere because my Maister placed me there and if one should replie but why staiest thou there without doing any thing because would it saie my Maister placed me not there to doe any thing but to th' end I should remaine immouable but if one should vrge it further saying but poore STATVA what art thou the better to remaine here in this sorte ah God would it saie I am not here for mine owne interest and seruice but to obaye and accomplish the will of my MAISTER and MAKER and this suffiseth me And if one should yet put another demand in this sort goe to tell me then STATVA I praie not seeing thy Maister how dost thou then take contentment to content him no verily would it confesse I see him not indeede for I haue eies not to see as also feete not to walke but I am ouer ioyed to know that my deare Maister sees me here and in seeing me here takes pleasure But if one should continew discourse with the STATVA and should saie vnto it why but would thou not at least wish to haue motion that thou mightest approch nere they maker to afford him some better seruice doubtlesse it would denie it and protest that it desired to doe no other thing vnlesse it were its Maisters desire Is it possible then would one cōclude that thou desin'st nothing but to be an immouable STATVA in that hollow place no truely would that wise STATVA finally answere no I desire to be nothing but a STATVA and a STATVA continually in this hole so long as my Maister pleaseth being content to be heare and in this nature seeing it is his conten t whose I am and by whom I am what I am 4. O good God how good a way it is of remaining in Gods presence to be and to will to be for euer and euer at his good pleasure for so vnlesse I be deceiued in all occurrences yea in our deepest sleepe we are more deeply in the holy presence of God yea verily THEO for if we loue him we fall asleepe not onely at the sight of him but at his pleasure and not at his pleasure onely but euen according to his pleasure And euen he himselfe our heauenly Creatour and Maker seemes to laie vs vpon our bed as STATVA'S in their places that we might nestle in our beds as birds in their nestes And at our awaking if we reflect vpon it we finde that God was still present with vs and that we were in no wise absent or separated from him We were there then in the presence of his good pleasure though without seeing or perceiuing him so that we might saie with Iacob Certes I haue sleept by my God and in the bosome of his diuine presence and prouidence and yet knew it not 5. Now this quiete in which the will workes not saue onely by a simple submission to the diuine will praying without any other pretention then to be in the sight of God according as it shall please him is a quiet soueraignely excellent because it hath no mixture of proper interest the faculties of the soule taking no content in it nor yet the will saue onely in her supreame point in which her content is to admite no other contentment except that of being without contentment for the loue of God's content and pleasure wherein she reposeth For in fine it is the top of the EXTASIE OF LOVE to haue ones will not in his owne contentment but in God's and ones content not in his owne will but in God's Of the melting and liquifaction of the soule in God CHAPTER XIII 1. HVmide and liquide things doe easily receiue the impressions and limits which one would put vpon them because they haue no firmenesse or soliditie which may staie or limite them Put liquour into a glasse and you shall see it remaine bounded and limited therein which being round or square the liquour shall be the like hauing no other limite nor shape then that of the glasse which contains it With the soule it faires not so in nature for she hath her proper shapes and limits she takes her shape from her habits and inclinations her limits from her will and when she is set vpō her owne inclinations and will we saie she is hard that is willfull and obstinate I will take from you saieth God your heart of stone that is your obstinacie To chang the forme of stones Iron or woode the axe hammer and fire is required We call such hearts of Iron woode or stone as doe not easily receiue the diuine impressions but linger in their owne will amid'st the inclinations which doe accompanie our depraued nature contrariwise a suple pliable and tractiue heart is termed a melting and liquifying heart My heart saieth DAVID speaking in the person of our Sauiour vpon the crosse is made as melted waxe in the midst of my bellie CLEOPATRA that infamous Queene of Egipt striuing to outuie Marke ANTONIE in all the excesses and dissolutions of his banquets in the end of one of them she made in her turne called for a viall of fine vineger and dropt into it one of the pearles which she wore in her eares valued at two hūdred fiftie crownes which being dissolued melted and liquified she tooke it downe and had yet buried the pearle she bore in her other eare in the sinke of her villanous stomake if Lucius Plautus had not hindred her Our Sauiours heart the true Orientall pearle singularly singular and priselesse throwen into the midest of an incomparably bitter sea in the day of his passion melted in it selfe dissolued liquified and flowed in griefe vnder the presse of so many mortall anguishes but loue stronger then death did mollifie soften and melt the heart sooner then the other passions 2. My heart saied the holy Spoufe was wholy dissolued at my well-beloued his voice and what is it to saie it is dissolued but that it is not contained with in it selfe but is runne out toward it's heauenly Louer God gaue order to Moyses to speake to the ROCKE and it should produce water it is no maruell then if he himselfe with his honie words can melt the heart of his Spouse Balme is so thicke by nature that it is not flowing or liquide but the more it is kept the more stife it growes and in the end becomes hard redde and transparant yet heat doth resolue and make it flowe Loue had liquified and melted the Spouse his soule whence the Spouse cals him oile poured-out And behold how now her selfe assures vs she is melted with loue my
our fâ—â—ble â—ight cannot constantly and steaddily behold them by reason of the great distance So ordinarily Saints that die of loue experience in themselues a great varietie of accidents and symptomes thereof before they come to their eÌ„d many sobings many assaults many extasies many laÌ„guors many agonies and one would thinke that their Loue brought forth their happie death by trauell and 〈◊〉 endeuours which happens by the weaknesse of their loue which is not as yet perfectly perfect so that it cannot continew affection with an equall steadfastnesse 3. But in the B. Virgin it was a quite other thing for as we see the faire AVRORA encrease not at diuers essayes and ierts but by a coÌ„tinued dilatation and encrease which is in a sort insensibly sensible so that she is indeede seene to encrease her light yet so softly that no interruption seperation or discontinuation can be apprehended therein So God's loue did euery moment encrease in the Virginall heart of this glorious Ladie but by a gentle smooth and continued encrease without agitation tosse or violence at all Ah no THEO we must not admit any forcible agitation in this celestiall loue of the virgins motherly heart for loue of it selfe is sweete gracious peaceable and calme And if it doe sometimes assault and make force against the mind it is because it meetes with opposition But when the passages of the soule lye open to it without oppositioÌ„ or coÌ„tradiction it peaceably makes progresse with an incoÌ„parable sweetenesse Thus then holy loue exercised its force vpon the virginall heart of the Sacred mother without force or violent boisterousnesse because it found therein neither stop nor staie For as we see great riuers froth and flash back againe with a great noise in craggie corners where the points or shelues of rockes doe oppose themselues and hinder the waters course while contrariwise they dâ—ie smoothly without violence glid and steele ouer the plaines So diuine Loue meeting with many impeachments and oppositions in humane hearts as in truth all hearts haue them though differently makes force fighting against naughtie inclinations beating the heart thrusting the will forwards by diuers shuggs aÌ„d sundrie essayes to make way be made to it selfe or at least to ouerpasse the obstacles But all things in the B. Virgin did helpe and second the course of heauenly loue making in her a greater progresse and encrease then in all other creaturs yet a progresse that was infinitly sweete peaceable aÌ„d calme No she sownded not with loue or compassion at the foote of her crucified sonne though there she had the most hote aÌ„d stinging fit of loue that euer heart could thinke for though it was an extreame fit yet was it equally strong and sweete powerfull and calme actiue and peaceable composed of a sharpe yet sweete heate 4. I doe not denie THEO that there were two portions in the B. Virgins soule and consequently two appetits the one according to the Spirit and superiour reason the other according to sense and inferiour reason so that she could feele the oppositions and contrarieties of both the appetits for this trouble did euen our Sauiour her sonne endure But I affirme that all affections were so well ordered and â—anged in this heauenly mother that diuine Loue did most peaceably exercise in her its power and dominion without being troubled by the diuersitie of wills and appetits or contrarietie of the senses because the oppositioÌ„s of the naturall appetite and motion of the senses did neuer come to be so much as a veniall sinne but contrariwise all these were holily and faithfully imploied in the seruice of diuine Loue for the exercise of other vertues which for the most part cannot be practised but amongst difficulties oppositions and contradictions 5. Thorneâ— in the common opinion are not onely differeÌ„t from flowers but contrarie to them and it seemes it were better if there were none in the world which made S. Ambrose thinke that but for sinne there had bene none at all But yet â—ith there are some the carefull husbandman doth fetch profit out of theÌ„ making there hedges and inclosurs about his closes and springing trees being their defence and rampire against cattell So the Glorious virgin hauing had a part in all humane miseries sauing such as doe directly tend to sinne she imploied them most profitably to the exercise and encrease of holy vertues of Hope Temperance Iustice and Prudence Pouertie Humilitie Sufferance and Compassion So that she was so farre from hindring that she did euen assist and strengthen heauenly loue by continuall exercises and aduancements And in her Magdalen did not trouble the attention wherewith she receiued from her Sauiour the impressions of loue for all Martha's heate and sollicitude She hath made choice of her Sonn's loue and not any thing doth depriue her of it 6. The ADAMANT as euery one knowes THEO doth naturally draw Iron vnto it by a secreet and most wonderfull vertue yet 5. things there are which doe hinder this operation 1. a too great distance 2. a DiamaÌ„t interposed 3. if the IroÌ„ be greesed 4. if it be rubbed with an onyon 5. if it be too waightie Our heart is made for God who doth continually allure it neuer ceasing to throw his baits into our hearts But fiue things doe hinder the operatioÌ„ of his draughtes 1. Sinne which puts vs at a distance with God 2. affection to riches 3. sensuall pleasures 4. Pride and vanitie 5. self-loue together with the multitude of inordinate passions which it brings forth and are to vs an ouercharging load bearing vs downe But none of these hindrances had place in the Glorious virgins heart 1. she was perpetually preserued from all sinne 2. perpetually most poore of heart 3. perpetually most pure 4. perpetually most humble 5. perpetually a peaceable Mistresse of all her passions and exempt from the rebellion which self-loue raiseth against the loue of God And therefore as Iron if it were quit of all obstacle yea euen of its owne waight were powerfully yet softely aÌ„d with aÌ„ equall draught drawne by the AdamaÌ„t yet so that the draught should still be more actiue and forcible as they came nearer the one to the other and the motion nearer to its end So the most holy Mother hauing nothing in her which hindred her Sonns diuine Loue she was vnited vnto him in an incomparable vnion by gentle extasies without trouble or trauell Extasies in which the sensible powers ceased not to performe their actions without disturbing the vnion of the mind as againe the perfect application of her mind did not much diuert her senses So that this virgins decease was more sweete then could be imagined drawen delightfully by the sent of her Sonns perfums and she most amiably springing after their sacred sweetenesse euen into the bosome of her Sonns Bountie And albeit this holy soule did extreamely affect her most holy most pure and most amiable bodie yet did she forsake it without paine
charged the Deputie to leaue him in his libertie to perseuer in his present manner of life because his obedience saied those good Fathers gaue assurance that he enterprised this kind of life by the diuine inspiration But in case he should resist and despising their exhortations he would follow his owne will they resolued to withdraw him thence by violence and force him to forsake his Pillar The Deputie being come to the Pillar he had not so soone performed his Embasie but the great Simeō without delay whithout reserue without replie at all began to descend with an obedience and humilitie worthy of his rare Sanctitie Which when the Deputie saw stay saied he ô Simeon remaine there perseuer constantly take courage pursue thy enterprise valliantly thy stay vpon this pillar is from God 3. But marke I pray you THEO how these aunciant and holy Ancorets in their generall meeting foūd no surer markes of an heauēly inspiration in so extraordinarie an occurrence as was this holy Stylits life then to find him simple sweete and tractable vnder the lawes of holy obedience and indeede God blessing the Submission of this great man gaue him the grace to perseuer thirtie whole yeares vpon the top of a Pillar 36. cubits high hauing before passed 7. yeares vpon others of 6. 12 and 20. foote high as also vpon the sharpe point of a rocke in a place called Mander Thus this birde of Paradice keeping aboue without touching the ground was a a Spectacle of Loue to the Angels and of admiration to mortalls In obedience all is secure out of it all is doubtfull 4. When God inspires a heart he moues it first to obedience but was there euer a more notable and sensible inspiration then that which was giuen to the glorious S. Paule and the principall peece of it was that he should repaire to the Citie where he should receiue from Ananias his mouth what he was to doe This Ananias a very famous man was as S. Dorothie saieth the Bishop of Damas. Whosoeuer saieth that he is inspired and yet refuseth to obey his Superiours and follow their Counsell is an Imposture All the Prophets and Preachers that euer were inspired did alwayes loue the Church alwayes adhered to her Doctrine alwayes were Proued by her nor did they euer announce any thing so constantly as this truth that the lipps of the Priest should conserue knowledge and that frō his mouth one was to demande the lawe so that Extraordinarie missions are diabolicall illusions not heauenly inspirations vnlesse they be acknowledged and approued by the Pastours which are of the ordinarie mission For so Moyses and the Prophets are reconciled so SAINT FRANCIS SAINT DOMINIKE and the other Fathers of Religious Orders were called to the succour of soules by an extraordinarie inspiration Marrie they did so much more humbly and cordially submit themselues to the Sacred Hierarchie of the Church In fine the three most assured markes of lawfull inspirations are PERSEVERANCE against inconstancie and lightenesse PEACE and sweetenesse of heart against vnquietnesse and sollicitude HVMBLE OBEDIENCE against obstinacie and humourousnesse 5. And to conclude all that we haue saied touching the vnion of our will with Gods will which is called signified almost all the hearbs which beare yellowe flowres yea Cicorie also which beares blewe ones doe still turne towards the Sūne and goe about with it while the HELIOTROPIVM doth not onely in its flowres but euen in its leaues also followe this great light So all the Elect doe turne the very flowre of their heart which is obedience to the commandements towards the diuine will but soules taken with holy Loue doe not onely eye this diuine Goodnesse by obedience to the Commandements but euen by the vnion of all their affections following this heauenly sunne in his Round in all that he doth Command Conunsell and inspire without reserue or exception at all whence they may saie with the holy Psalmist Lord thou hast held my right hand and in thy will thou hast conducted me with encrease of thy glorie thou hast receiued me as a beast I am become with thee ād I am alwayes with thee for as a well broken horse is easily handled fairely and duely brought into any posture by him that rides him so the Louing soule is so pliable to Gods will that he doth with her what he pleaseth A short methode to know Gods will CHAPTER XIV 1. SAINT BASILE saieth that Gods will is made cleare vnto vs by his ordinances or commandemēts and that then there is no deliberation to be made for we are simply to doe that which is ordained So that for all other things we haue freedome to choose as we list what likes vs though we are not to doe all that is lawfull but that onely which is expedient and that finally to discerne securely what is expedient we are to follow our prudent Ghostly Father's aduise 2. But THEOT I am to premonish you of a troublesome temptation which crosseth the way of such soules as are carried on with a great desire of doing that which is most according to Gods will For the enemy at euery turne of a hand will put them to their wits end to discouer whether they are rather to doe this or that for example whether they should eate with their friend or no whether they should weare gray or blacke clothes whether they should fast Friday or Saturday whether they should recreate or abstaine from it consuming therein much time and while they are busie and breake their heads to descerne the better they idly spend the time in which they might doe many good offices farre more to Gods glorie then their descerning betwixt good and better wherein they are musing 3. We vse not to waigh euery smale peece of money but such onely as are of importance Trading would be too troublesome and would burne too much day if we were to waigh pence farthings halfe farthings c. Nor likewise are we to waigh euery pettie action to know whether it be of more value then others Yea there is often times a kinde of superstition in this precise inquisition For to what end should a mā make difficultie whether it were better to heare masse in one Church then another to spinne then to sow to giue Almes to a man then to a woman It is not good seruice done to a Maister to spend as much time to consider what is to be done as to doe the things which is to be done We are to proportion our attention to the consequence of the thing we are to vndertake It were a superfluous care to vse as long a deliberation about a iorney of one day as for one of 6. or 8. hundred miles 4. The choice of ones vocation the proposition of a businesse of great consequence a labour full of difficultie or subiect to great expences the chang of ones place of abode election of conuersations and the like deserue a serious ponder ation which
thought he walked not he was deliuered and beleeued it not And all this because the wonder of his deliuerance was so great and it did engage his heart in such sort that though he had sense and knowledge enough to doe what he did yeâ— had he not enough to discouer that he did it really and in good earnest He saw indeede the Angell but could not discerne whether it was a true and naturall vision Wherevpon he tooke no consolation in his deliuerie till such time aâ— coÌ„ming to himselfe Now quoth he I know for certaine that God hath sent his Angell and hath deliuered me out of Herods hands and from all the Iewes expectation 2. Now THEO euen after the same manner it goes with a soule which is ouercharged with interiour anguishes for be it that she hath the power to beleeue to hope and Loue her God yet her distresse doth possesse her and make head against her so desperatly that she caÌ„ get no time to make a retreate into her owne quarter and see what is done at home Wherevpon she is conceited that she hath neither faith Hope nor Charitie but onely the shadowes and fruitlesse impressions of the saied vertues which she apprehends in a manner without apprehending them and as strangers not as the Familiars of the soule And if you will but take notice of it you shall find our soules alwayes in this estate when they are fiercely set vpon by some violent passion for they performe many actions as though they were in a dreame with so little feeling that they can scarcely beleeue that the passage is reall Which moued the Psalmist to expresse the greatenesse of the Israelits consolation in their returne from Babilon's Captiuitie in these words VVhen't pleas'd great Sions king to grant Vs freedome from our thrall VVe sâ—em'd to dreame so were we tooke VVith thoughts extaticall And as the holy latine version following the Seauentie hath we were made as men comforted that is the admiration of the good which befell vs was so excessiuely great that it hindred vs from feeling the consolation which we receiued and it seemed to vs that we were not truely comforted nor had any true consolation but onely in a figure and a dreame 3 Such are the feelings of the soule which is tossed in the midst of Spirituall anguishes which doe exceedingly purifie and refine Loue for being stript of all pleasure by mediation whereof she might be ioyned to God she is ioyned and vnited to God immediatly will to will heart to heart without the least mediation of content or any other pretention Alas THEO how the poore heart is afflicted when being as it were abandoned by Loue it lookes round about aÌ„d yet seemes not to find it It is not found in the exteriour senses thy not being capable of it nor in the Imagination which is cruelly tortured by sundrie onsets nor in the vnderstanding distracted with a thousand obscurities of strang discourses and apprehensions and though at length it be found in the top and supreame region of the Spirit where it doth still reside yet doth the soule mistake it and conceiues that it is not it because the thicknesse of darkenesse and distresse doth not permit her to taste the sweetenesse thereof She sees it without seeing it meetes it but doth not know it as though it passed in a dreame onely â—â—r in a Type In this sort Magdalaine hauing met with her deare-Maister receiued no comfort from him for that she did not apprehend that it was he indeede but a Gardener onely 4. But what is the soule to doe that finds her selfe in this case THEO she wots not how to behaue herselfe amidst so many vexations nor hath she any strength left but euen permits her will to die in the hands of Gods will imitating her sweete IESVS who being come to the top of the paines of the Crosse which his Father had ordained and not being able any further to resist the extreamâ—tie of his torments did like the Hart who when he is ruÌ„ne out of breath and oppressed by the hounds yeelding himselfe vp into the huntsmans hands with teares trickling downe sends out his last brayings for so this Diuine Sauiour neere vnto his death and giuing vp his last breath with a loude voice and aboundance of teares Alas quoth he ô Father into thy hands I commeÌ„d my Spirit This was the last word THEO and that by which the beloued sonne gaue a soueraigne testimonie of his Loue towards his Father When therefore all failes vs when our extreamities are growen to their hight this word this disposition this rendring vp of our soule into our Sauiours hands can neuer faile vs. The sonne commended his soule to his Father in this his last and incomparable anguish And we when the conuulsions of spirituall paines shall bereaue vs of all other sort of solace and meanes of resistance let vs commend our soule into the hands of the eternall sonne our true Father and making our hearts in a quiet submission stoope to his good pleasure let vs make ouer our whole will vnto him How the will being dead to it selfe liues entirely to Gods will CHAPTER XIII 1. VVE speake with a singular proprietie of the death of men in our French tongue For we call it an OVERPASSING and the dead theÌ„selues OVERPASSED intimatiÌ„g that DEATH amongst men is but a PASSAGE from one life to another and TO DIE is no other thing but to OVER PASSE the confines of this mortall life to arriue at the immortall True it is our will can no more die then our soule yet doth she sometimes out goe the limits of her ordinarie life to liue wholy in the Diuine will Then it is that she neither cann or will desire any thing at all but giues her selfe ouer totally and without reserue to the good pleasure of the Diuine prouidence moistening and incorporating her selfe with this good pleasure that she is not seene but is hid with IESVS CHRIST in God where she liues not she but the will of IESVS CHRIST in her 2. What becomes of the brightnesse of the starres when the Sunne appeares in our Horison certainely it doth in no wise perish but is drunke vp and spent in the Sunnes singular light with which it is happily mixed and allied And what becomes of mans will when it is entirely deliuered vp to God's pleasure It doth not altogether perish yet is it so drunke vp and dispersed in the will of God that it appeares not nor hath it any other will then the will of God Propose vnto your selfe THEOT the glorious and neuer sufficiently praysed S. Lewes who embarkes himselfe to saile beyond Sea and behold the Queene his deare wife ebarking her selfe together with his Maiestie now if one should haue demanded of this braue Princesse Madame whither doe you tend she would without doubt haue replied I goe whither the king goeth but if one should haue demanded againe saying but doe you know Madame
thee more then my selfe since I am wholy thyne and in thee 6. And in case there were or could be some Soueraigne GOOD whereof we were independent yet so as that we could vnite our selues vnto it by loue we should euen be incited to loue it more then our selues seeing that the infinitie of it's sweetenesse would be still Soueraignely more powerfull to allure our will to it's loue then all the other yea euen our owne proper GOODS 7. But if by imagination of a thing impossible there were an infinite goodnesse whereof we had no dependance at all and wherewith we could haue no kind of vnion or communication we should yet verily esteeme it more then our selues For we should plainely know that being infinite it were more estimable and amiable then we and consequently that we should make simple wishes to be able to loue it Yet properly speaking we should not loue it sith that loue aimes at vnioÌ„ and much lesse can we haue Charitie towards it since that Charitie is a Friendshipe and Friendshipe cannot be vnlesse it be reciprocall hauing for it's grownd-worke COMMVNICATION and VNION for it's end This I saie for certaine chimericall and vaine wits who vpon impertinent imaginations doe role melancolie discourses vp and downe their mind to their owne maine vexation But as for vs THEOT my deare friend we see plainly that we cannot be true men without hauing an inclination to loue God more then our selues nor true Christians without practising this inclination Let vs loue him more then our selues which is to vs more then all and more then our selues Amen for true it is How holy Charitie brings forth the loue of our neighbour CHAPTER XI 1. AS God created man to his owne Image and likenesse so did he ordaine a loue for man to the image and resemblance of the loue which is due to his owne Diuinitie Thou shalt loue saieth he thy Lord thy God with all thy heart it is the first and greatest commandement And the second is like vnto this Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour as thy selfe Why doe we loue God THEO The cause why we loue God saieth S. BERNARD is God himselfe as though he had saied we loue God because he is the most soueraigne and infinite Goodnesse And why doe we loue our selues in Charitie surely because we are the Image and liknesse of God And whereas all men are indewed with the same dignitie we loue him also as our selues that is in qualitie of the most holy and liuely Image of the Diuinitie for it is in that qualitie THEO that we belong to God in so strict an aliance and so amiable a dependance that he makes no difficultie to be called Father and to call vs children It is in this qualitie that we are capable to be vnited to his Diuine essence by the fruition of his soueraigne bountie and felicitie It is in this qualitie that we receiue his grace that our spirits are associated to his most holy spirit aÌ„d made in a maÌ„ner participaÌ„t of his Diuine nature as S. LEO sayeth And therefore the same Charitie which produceth the acts of the loue of God produceth withall the acts of the loue of our neighbour And euen as Iacob saw but one ladder which reached from Heauen to earth by which the Angels did as well descend as ascend so we see that one same charitie extends it selfe both to the loue of God and our neighbour raising vs to the vnion of our spirit with God and yet brining vs back againe to a peaceable and quiet â—ocietie with our neighbours Yet with this difference that we loue our neighbour in that he is created to the Image and likenesse of God to haue communication with the Diuine bountie participation of grace and fruition of glorie 2. THEO to loue our Neighbour in Charitie is to loue God in man or man in God It is to loue God for his owne sake and the creature for the loue of him The young Tobie accompained with the Angell Raphael hauing met with Raguel his Father to whom yet he was vnknowen Raguel had no sooner set his eyes vpon him saieth the Scripture but turning himselfe towards his wife Anne looke looke quoth he how much this youÌ„g man doth resemble my cosen and hauing saied thus he saied vnto theÌ„ whence come you youthes my deare bretheren at which they replied We are of the Tribe of Nephtali of the Captiuitie of Niniuie and he saied vnto them doe you know my brother Tobie yes Sir we know him replied they and Raguel beginning highly to commend him the Angell saied vnto him Tobie of whom you speake is this youths owne Father with that Raguel stept towards him and kissing him with many teares and haÌ„ging vpon his necke blessing haue thou my sonne quoth he because thou art the sonne of a good and most vertuous man and the good woman Anne his wife and Sara his daughter began to weepe through tendernesse of affectioÌ„ Doe not you note how Raguel embraced the little Tobie cherished kissed and wept with ioye vpon him whom he knew not Whence proceeded this Loue but from old Tobie his Father whom this child did so much resemble Blessing hasie thou quoth he but why not truly because thou art a good youth for that as yet I know not but because thou art sonne and like to thy Father who is a very good man 3. Ah good God THEOT when we see our neighbour created to the Image and likenesse of God ought we not to saie one to another Obserue and see this creature how it resembles the Creatour ought we not to cast our selues vpon it cherishe it and weepe ouer it with loue ought we not to blesse it a thousand and a thousand times And why this For the loue of it no verily for we know not whether it be worthy of loue or hatred in it selfe but wherefore theÌ„ O THEO for the loue of God who hath framed it to his owne similitude and likenesse and consequently hath endowed it with a capacitie to be partaker of his goodnesse in GRACE and GLORIE For the loue of God I saie from whom it is whose it is by whom it is in whom it is for whom it is and whom it resembles in a most particular manner Wherevpon the diuine loue doth not onely often times command the loue of our neighbours but it selfe produceth it and poures it into man's heart as his resemblance and Image for euen as man is the Image of God so the sacred loue of man towards man is the true picture of the heauenly loue of man towards God But this discourse of the loue of our neighbour requires a whole Treatise a part which I beseech the Soueraigne Louer of men to inspire into some of his most excellent seruants since the top of the loue of the Diuine Goodnesse of the heauenly Father consisteth in the perfection of the loue of our brothers and companions in earth How loue produceth Zeale CHAPTER XII
that all humane actions might be duely fashioned to naturall honestie and felicitie But besids all this God to enriche Christians with a speciall fauour he makes a supernaturall fountaine rise vp vpon the very top of the superiour part of the spirit which is called Grace and doth indeede comprehend faith and Hope yet it consists of Charitie which doth purifie the soule from sinne and then doth adorne and embellish her with a most delightfull beautie and finally doth spreed her waters ouer all the faculties and operations therof to endow the vnderstanding with a celestiall Prudence the will with a holy Iustice the concupiscible Appetite with a sacred Temperāce and the Irascible Appetite with a denote Force to the end that mans whole heart might tend to the supernaturall honestie and felicitie which is a vnion with God And if these foure streames or flouds of Charitie doe meete with any one of the foure naturall vertues in the soule they bring it to their obedience mixing themselues therewith to perfect it as perfumed water doth perfect naturall water being mingled together But if holy Charitie poured out in this manner meete with none of the naturall vertues in the soule she alone doth all their operations as occasion requires 2. Thus heauenly Loue finding sundrie vertues in S. PAVLE S. AMBROSE S. DENIS S. PACOMIVS poured vpon them a delightfull light reducing them all to his seruice But the Diuine Loue finding no vertue at all in S. MARIE MAGDALENE S. MARIE EGIPTIACA the good Thiefe and a thousand the like penitents who had bene great offenders did the office and worke of all the vertues becōming patient sweete hūble ād liberall in them We sowe great varietie of seeds in Gardens and couer them with earth as burying them till the Sunne preuailing makes them rise againe and as one would saie doth resuscitate them in the production of their leaues and fruit which haue new seede euery one in his kind so that one onely heauenly heate doth cause all the diuersitie of productions by meanes of the seede which it finds hid in the bosome of the erath Verily my THEO God hath sowen in our hearts the seeds of all vertues which are yet so couered with our imperfections and weaknesse that they did not at all or at least scarce appeare till the vitall heate of holy Loue came to quicken and resuscitate them by them producing the actions of all vertues So that as Manna contained in it selfe the sundrie tastes of all meates and left a relish thereof in the Israelits mouthes euen in like manner heauenly Loue comprehends in it selfe the diuers perfections of all the vertues in so excellent and high a sort that it produceth all the actions in time and place according to their occurrences IOSVE did valliantly defeate God's enemyes by his good command ouer the armies which were put in his hands But Samson defeated them yet more gloriously who by his owne hand slew thousands with the iawe bone of an asse IOSVE by his command and good order making vse of the valour of his troopes wrought wonders But SAMSON by his owne force alone wrought wonders IOSVE had the strength of many soldiers vnder him but SAMSON had it in him and could alone performe as much as IOSVE together with many soldiers Holy loue is excellent in both these wayes for finding some vertues in a soule and ordinarily it finds at least Faith Hope and Penance it quickens commands and happily imployes them in God's seruice and for the rest of the vertues which it finds not it performes their worke all alone hauing more strength alone then they haue all together 3. The great Apostle doth not onely saie that Charitie giues vs Patience Benignitie Constancie Simplicitie but he saieth that Charitie it selfe is patient benigne constant And it is the propertie of the supreame vertues amongst men and Angels not onely to direct the inferiour vertues in their operations but also to be able themseues to doe what they command others The Bishope giues the charge of all the Ecclesiasticall functions to open the Church to reade exercise preach baptize sacrifice communicate and absolue therein and he himselfe also cā doe and doth all this hauing in himselfe an eminent vertue which comprehends all the inferiour vertues So S. THOMAS vpon that which S. PAVLE assures vs to wit that Charitie is patient benigne strong Charitie saieth he doth doe and accomplish the works of all the vertues And S. AMBROSE writing to DEMETRIAS cals Patience and the rest of the vertues members of Charitie And the glorious S. AVGVSTINE saieth that the Loue of GOD comprehends all the vertues and doth all their operations in vs heare his words That we saie that vertue is deuided into foure he meanes the foure Cardinall vertues we saie it in my opinion by reason of the diuers affections which proceede from Loue. So that I would make no doubt to define those foure vertues thus Temperance is a Loue which giues it selfe entirely vnto God Fortitude is a Loue which doth willingly support all things for Gods sake Iustice is a Force which serues God onely and therefore disposeth iustly of all that belong vnto man Prudence is a Loue that makes choice of things proper to vnite it selfe vnto God and reiect such things as are contrarie to it He therefore that hath Charitie hath his soule inuested with a faire wedding garment which like vnto that of IOSEPH is wrought with the varietie of vertues or rather it hath a perfection which containes the vertue of all the perfections and the perfection of all the vertues whence Charitie is patient and benigne She is not enuious but bashfull she commits no leuities but is prudent she is not puffed vp with pride but is humble she is not ambitious or disdainefull but amiable and affable she is not eager in exacting that which belongs vnto her but free and condescending She is not irritated but is peaceable She thinkes of no euill but is gentle She doth not reioyce in euill but in the truth and with the truth she suffers all she easily beleeues all the good which one can tell her without all headinesse contention or diffidence She hath a firme hope of her neighbours good without euer distrusting to procure his saluation she sustaines euery thing expecting in peace that which is promised her And in conclusion Charitie is that pure inflamed gold which our Sauiour coūselled the Bishope of Laodicea to buy containing the price of all things and which cā doe and doth all things That vertues haue their worth from sacred Loue. CHAPTER IX 1. CHaritie is then the band of perfection since in it all the perfections of the soule are assembled and contained and without it one cānot onely not haue the full assemblie of vertues but euen not so much as the perfection of any one of them If the cemente and morter which should tie together the stones in the wall be awanting the whole edifice goes
conserue life after Charities death who gaue them life The Lake which profane authours doe commonly call Asphalitus and sacred authours MARE-MORTVVM hath so heauie a curse put vpon it that nothing that is put into it can liue when the fish of Iordaine doe come neere it they die vnlesse they speedily returne backe against the streame The trees vpon the brims of it produce nothing aliue and though their fruit be in apparance and autward shew like to the fruits of other countries howbeit when on puls them they are found to be skinne and core being full of asshes which flie away in the wind These be the markes of infamous sinns for the punishment whereof this Coūtrie which was peopled with three populous Cities was of old conuerted into a pit of filth and corruption and nothing was deamed better to represent the mischeife of sinne then this abominable Lacke which had its origine from the most execrable disorder that could be cōmitted by mans bodie Sinne therefore as a dead and mortall sea kills all that comes neere it nothing is found liuing in the soule which it possesseth nor all about it O God THEO nothing for sinne is not onely a dead worke but is withall so infections and venimous that the most excellent vertues of the sinfull soule doe produce no liuing action And though the actions of sinners haue oftentimes a great resemblance with those of the iust man yet are they indeede barkes onely stuffed with wind and dust whē they are truely looked into and are rewarded of God onely by some present benefits which are bestowed vpō thē as vpon the chambermaids children yet are they such barkes as neither are nor can be so tasted and relished by the Diuine Iustice as to be rewarded with an eternall crowne they die vpon the trees and cannot be conserued in the hand of God being voyd of true worth as it is saied in the Apocalypse to the Bishop of Sardis who was reputed a liuing tree by reason of diuers vertues which he practised and yet dead he was for that being in sinne his vertues were not true liuing fruits but dead barkes glorious to the eyes but no wayes sauorie to the palate so that we may all cast out this true voice following the holy Apostle without Charitie I am nothing nothing doth profit me and with S. AVGVSTINE saie Giue Charitie to a heart and all doth profit depriue it of Charitie and nothing doth profit it I meane towards life euerlasting for as we haue saied the vertuous works of sinners are profitable to our temporall life But my deare THEO what doth it profit a man to gaine all the world temporally if he loose his soule eternally How holy Loue returning into the soule doth reuiue all the works which sinne had slayne CHAPTER XII 1. THe works then of a sinner while he is depriued of Charitie are not profitable to eternall life and therevpon they are called dead works whereas contrariwise the good works of the iust man are saied to be liuing for that the Diuine Loue doth animate and quicken them with its dignitie And if afterwards they loose their life and worth by sinne they are held to be workes that are deaded extinguished or mortified onely but not quite deade especially in the Elect for as our Sauiour speaking of the little Tabitha Iarus his daughter said she was not dead but slept onely because she continued dead so small a time till she was resuscitated that it seemed rather to be a sleepe then a true death So the works of the iust man but especially of the elect who by the commission of sinne dyeth are not called dead works but onely deaded mortified stounded or put into a trance because vpon the next returne of holy Loue they either ought or at least may reuiue and returne to life againe Sinn 's returne depriues the soule and all her workes of life the returne of Grace doth restore life to the soule and all her actions A sharpe winter doth dead all the plants of the fields so that if it continued still they would still continew in the state of death Sinne the sad and daunting winter of the soule doth quayle all the holy workes that it finds there in and if it did alwayes continew neuer would any thing recouer either life or vigour But as in the returne of the pleasant spring not onely the seedes which are sowē by the helpe of this delightfull and fruitfull season doe gratefully bud and blossome euery one in his kind but euen the old plants which the rigour of the winter past had bitten withered and deaded waxe greene and doe resume new force vertue and life So sinne being blotted out and the grace of Diuine Loue returning into the soule the new affections which this spring of grace doth bring doe blossome and bring forth ample merites and blessings but the works that are dried vp and withered by the rigour of the winter of sinns ouer passed as being deliuered from their mortall enemye resume their force waxe strong and as risen from the dead they florish a new and store vp merits for the eternall life Such is the omnipotencie of Diuine Loue or the Loue of the Diuine omnipotencie If the impious turne away himselfe from his impietie and shall doe iudgement and iustice he shall viuificate his soule conuert and doe penance for all your iniquities and iniquitie shall not be a ruine vnto you saieth our Lord. And what is that iniquitie shall not be a ruine vnto you but that the ruine which it made shall be repaired So besides a thousand courtisies that the prodigall sonne receiued at his Fathers hands he was reestablished euen with aduantage in all his ornaments graces fauours and dignities which he had lost And IOB that innocent picture of a penitent sinner did in the end receiue the double of that which he had Verily it is the Councell of Trēts desire that we should encourage the penitents that are returned into fauour with God allmightie in these words of the Apostle Abound in euery good worke knowing that your labour is not vnprofitable in our Lord for God is not vniust to forget your worke and the Loue which you haue showen in his name God then doth not forget the works of those who by sinne hauing lost loue recouers it againe by penance Now God is saied to forget our workes whē they loose their merite and sanctitie by sinne committed and he remembers them when they returne to life and vigour by the presence of holy Loue. So that amongst the faithfull it is not necessarie to the reward of their good works as well by the encrease of grace and future glorie as by the enioying of life euerlasting in effect that one fall not into sinne but it is sufficient according to the Councell of Trent that one depart this life in God's grace and charitie 2. God hath promised an eternall reward to the works of a iust man but if the
in our soules there is alwayes a mercinarie or seruile loue left in thē till Charitie being come to perfection doth take out this pricking needle and put it vp as it were in her Clue In this life therefore wherein our Charitie shall neuer come to that perfection that it shall be exempt from perill Feare is alwayes necessarie and euen while we daunce for ioye with Loue we must tremble with apprehension by Feare In Feare aduise of what thou tak'st in hand Serue and reioyce in him that raignes aboue Reioyce in him yet ioyfull firmly stand In lowlinesse of heart in trembling loue Our great Father ABRAHAM sent his seruant ELIEZER to choose a wife for his onely sonne ISAAC Eliezer wēt and by diuine inspiration made choice of the faire and chast REBECCA whom he carried away with him But this wittie Damsell forsooke ELIEZER as soone as she met with ISAAC and being conducted into SARAS chamber she remained his spouse for euer God doth often send seruile Feare as another ELIEZER and Eliezer is interpreted God's assistance to treate the marriage betwixt it selfe and sacred Loue. And though the soule be brought vnder the conduct of Feare it is not that Feare meanes to espouse her for in effect as soone as the soule meets with Loue she vnits herselfe vnto him and quits Feare 2. Yet as ELIEZER after his returne remained in Isaac his house at his and Rebeccas seruice so Feare hauing led vs to holy Loue it remaines still with vs to serue both Loue and the louing soule as occasion serues For though the soule be iust yet she is oft set vpon by extreame temptations and Loue as couragious as it is hath enough to doe to sustaine the assault by reason of the disaduantage of the place wherein it is which is the variable heart of man subiect to the mutinie of the passions In that case therefore THEO Loue employes Feare in the fight making vse of him to repulse the enemie The braue Prince IONATHAS going to giue a charge vpon the Phylistians amidst the obscuritie of the night would haue his Esquire with him and those that he killed not his Espire killed And loue enterprising some difficult thing makes not vse of his proper motiues onely but also of the motiues of seruile and mercinarie feare and the temptations which Loue ouerthrowes not Feare defeates If a temptation of Pride auarice or some voluptuous pleasure make head against me Ah! shall I saie it is possible that for things so vaine my soule would quit the grace of her well-beloued but if this will not serue Loue will call Feare to his aide ah dost thou not see miserable heart that by seconding this temptation the horrible flames of Hell doe waite vpon thee and that thou loosest the eternall inheritance of heauen a man makes vse of all things in extreamities as the saied IONATHAS did when passing the sharp Rockes which were betwixt him and the Phylistians he did not onely make vse of his feete but as well as he could scrambled and ramped with his hands Euen therefore as the Mariners who lanch out vnder a fauorable gale and in a fit season doe yet neuer leaue behind them their cables ankers and other necessaries against stormes and tempests so though the seruant of God enioye the sweete repose of holy Loue he must neuer be vnprouided of the Feare of Gods iudgments to helpe himselfe therewith amōgst the outrages and assaults of temptations besids that as the skin of an aple which in it selfe is of small estimation is yet very vsefull for the conseruation of the aple which it couereth so seruile feare which in it selfe is but of a meane condition in respect of Loue is yet very profitable to its conseruation during the dangers of this mortall life And as he that presents a Pomegranade doth onely present it in respect of the grains and iuyce contained with in it and yet giues it in the pille as a certaine dependance of it Euen so though the holy Ghost amongst his sacred gifts bestowes a louing Feare vpon the hearts of his friends that they may feare God in pietie as their Father and Spouse yet doth he also adde to that a mercinarie and seruile Feare as an accessarie to the other which is more excellent so Ioseph presenting his Father with many loades of the riches of Egipt gaue him not onely the treasures but withall the asses that brought them 3. Now albeit that mercinarie and seruile Feare be very necessarie for this mortall life yet is it vnworthy of any part in the immortall where there shall be an assurance voyd of Feare a Peace without opposition a repose free from care yet shall the seruices which this seruile and mercinarie Feare made Loue be there rewarded so that these Feares though as another Moyses and Aaron they enter not into the LAND OF PROMIS yet shall their posteritie and workes enter and as for a Filiall and the Feare of Spouses they there shall haue their rancke and place not to cause any diffidence or perplexitie in the foule but to make her admire and reuerence with submission the incomprehensible maiestie of this omnipotent Father and this Spouse of glorie The Loue to God we beare Is full of purest Feare His Feare and Maiestie Dures for eternitie How Loue makes vse of naturall seruile and mercinarie Feare CHAPTER XVIII 1. Lightnings Thundrings Thunderbolts tempests Inundations Earth-quakes and other sodaine accidents doe excite euen the most indeuote person to feare God and nature preuenting discourse in those occurences doth driue the heart the eyes yea the very hands to heauen-wards to inuoke the assistance of the most holy Diuinitie according to the common sense of mākind which is saieth Titus Liuius that such as serue the Almightie doe prosper and such as contemne him are afflicted In the storme which endāgered IONAS the Marriners were strooke with a great feare and each of them fell sodainly a crying to God They were ignorant saieth SAINT HIEROME of the Truth yet they knew there was a Prouidence and beleeued that it was by the iudgment of Heauen that they were in this danger as the Malteses when they saw S. PAVLE inuaded by a viper after he had escaped shipwrake beleeued that it happened by the Diuine vengeance And indeede Thunders Stormes Thunderbolts are called the Almighties voice by the Psalmist saying further that they make his words because they Proclame his Feare and are as Ministers of his Iustice And againe wishing that the Maiestie of God would become dreadfull to his enemies lighten lightening saieth he and thou shalt disperse them shoote out thyne arrowes and thou shalt destroye them where he termes Thūderbolts the arrowes ād darts of God And before the Psalmist Samuels good mother had alreadie sung that euē Gods enemies would feare hī if he would thūder ouer thē frō Heauē Certes PLATO in his GORGIAS and else where doth witnesse that there was some sense of Feare amongst the Pagans
to vndergoe in that behalfe he sacrificed himselfe in spirit to Gods good pleasure and dearely kissing this his Crosse he cryed from the botome of his heart to the imitation of SAINT ANDREW I salute thee ô precious Crosse I salute thee ô blessed tribulation ô holy affliction how delightfull thou art since thou didst issue from the louing breast of the eternall Father of mercy who willed thee from all eternitie and did ordaine thee for my deare people and me O Crosse my heart willeth thee sith the heart of my God hath willed thee ô Crosse my soule doth cherish and embrace thee with her whole affection 8. In this sort are we to vndertake affaires of greatest consequence and the sharpest tribulations which can befall vs. But if they prooue to be of long continuance we must from time to time and very frequently iterate this exercise that we may more profitably continew our vnion to Gods good will and pleasure pronouning this short yet wholy Diuine Protestation of his Sonne yes ô eternall Father I will it with all my heart because so it was pleasing in thy sight ô God Tâ—EOTIME how rich this practise is An exhortation to the sacrifice which we are to make to God of our free-will CHAPTER X. 1. I adde to the sacrifice of S. CHARLES that of the great Patriarke Abraham as a liuely image of the most strong and loyall loue that could be imagined in any creature 2. Certainly he sacrificed the strongest naturall affections that possibly he could haue wheÌ„ hearing the voice of God which said vnto him Leaue thy couÌ„trie and thy friends and thy Fathers house and goe into the land which I will shew vnto thee he presently departed and with speede put himselfe vpoÌ„ the way without knowing whither he was to goe the loue of his deare countrie the delightfull conuersation of his neere allie the pleasures of his Fathers house did not stagger him he departs with an ardent boldnesse and goes whither it shall please God to codduct him What an abnegation THEO what renunciation was this one cannot perfectly Loue God vnlesse he forsake the affection to momentarie things 3. But this was nothing in respect of that which he did afterwards when being twice called by God who seeing his promptitude in answearing saied vnto him Take ISAAC thyne onely sonne whom thou louest and goe into the Land of vision where thou shalt offer him in Holocaust vpoÌ„ one of the mountaines which I will shew vnto thee for behold this great man how he sodainely departs with his so much beloued and so worthy to be beloued Sonne goes three dayes iorney comes to the foote of the mountaine leaues there his seruant and asse lodes his sonne Isaac with woode necessarie to the holocaust reseruing himselfe to carrie the sword and fire and as he ascends the mountaine his tender child saied vnto him Father and he answered him what wouldst thou child Looke saied the child behold the woode and fire but where is the victime of the holocaust To which his Father replied God will prouide the victime of the Holocaust my child and in the meane while they arriued at the top of the designed mountaine where Abraham presently erected an Altar lays the woode in order vpon it binds his Isaac and puts him vpon the funerall Pile extends his right hand layes hold of and drawes out his sword lifts vp his arme and as he was readie to dispatch the blow to sacrifice the child the Angell cried from aboue Abraham Abraham who answeres I am here Lord and the Angell saied vnto him doe not kill thy sonne it is sufficient now I know thou fearest God and hast not spared thy sonne for my sake Vpon this Isaac is vntyed Abraham takes a Rame which he sound hanging by the hornes in the brambles and sacrificed him 4. THEO he that sees his neighbours wife to couet her hath alreadie coÌ„mitted adultâ—rie in his heart and he that binds his sonne to sacrifice him hath alreadie sacrificed him in his heart Behold then for Gods loue what a Holocaust this holy man offered in his heart an incomparable sacrifice a sacrifice that one cannot fully estimate nor yet praise to the full O God who is able to discerne which of the two loues was greater Abrahams who to please God sacrificed his sonne so amiable or the childs who to please God is willing to be sacrificed and to that end permits himselfe to be bound and extended vpon the woode and as a tender lambe peaceably attends deathes blow from the deare hand of his good Father 5. For my part I preferre the Father for his longanimitie yet dare I with all boldly giue the prize of magnaminitie to the sonne For on the one side it is indeede a miracle yet not so great a one that Abraham alreadie old and accomplished in the science of louing God and frotified by the late vision and word of God should giue this last essay of loyaltie and loue towards a Maister whose sweetenesse and prouidence he had so ofteÌ„ perceiued and tasted But to see Isaac in the Spring of his age as yet a meere Nouice and AppreÌ„tise in the art of louing God offer himselfe vpon the onely word of his father to the sword and the flame to become a Holocaust of obedience to the Diuine will is a thing that passeth all admiration 6. Yet of the other side doe you not see THEOT that for the space of three dayes Abraham doth tosse and turne in his soule the bitter thought and resolutioÌ„ of this sharp sacrifice Doe you not take compassion of his Fatherlie heart when ascending alone with his sonne the child more simple then a Doue saied vnto him Father where is the victime and he answered him God will prouide for that my soÌ„ne Doe you not thinke that the sweetenesse of the child carrying the woode vpon his shoulders and piling it afterwards vpon the Altar made his fathers bowels melt away with tendernesse ô heart which the Angells admire and God magnifieth O Sauiour Iâ—SVS when shall it then be that hauing sacrificed vnto thee all that we haue we shall also offer vp vnto thee all that we are When shall we offer vnto thee our freewill the onely child of our soule when will it be that we shall extend and tye it vpon the Altar of thy Crosse of thy thornes of thy lance that as a little Ewe it may be a gratefull victime to thy good pleasure to burne and die in the flame and with the sword of thy Diuine Loue. 7. O Freewill of my heart how good a thing were it for thee to be bound and extended vpon the Crosse of thy Heauenly Sauiour How desirable a thing it is to die to thy selfe to burne for euer a Holocaust to the Almightie THEOT our Freewill is neuer so free as when it is slaue subiect to the will of God nor euer so a slaue as when it serues our owne will It neuer hath so much life as
when it dies to it selfe nor euer so much death as when it liues to it selfe 8. We haue freedome to doe good or euill yet to make choyce of euill is not to vse but to abuse our freedome Let vs renounce the accursed libertie and let vs for euer subiect our free-will to the rule of heauenly Loue let vs become slaues to Loue whose seruants are more happie then kings And if euer our soule should offer to imploye her libertie against our resolutioÌ„s of seruing God for euer and without reserue ô in that case for Gods sake let vs sacrifice our freewill and make it die to it selfe that it may liue to God He that in respect of selfe loue will keepe it in this world shall loose it in respect of eternall Loue in the other world and he that for the loue of God shall loose it in this world shall coÌ„serue it for the same loue in the next He that giues it libertie in this world shall find it a slaue in the other and he that shall make it a seruant to the Crosse in this world shall find it free in the next where being drunk vp in the fruition of the Diuine goodnesse libertie will be conuerted into loue and loue into libertie but libertie of an infinite sweetenesse without violeÌ„ce paine or repugnance at all we shall vnchangeably loue the Creatour and Sauiour of our soules Of the motiues we haue to holy Loue. CHAPTER XI 1. SAINT BONAVENTVRE Father Granado Father Lowis of Poâ—t Stella haue sufficiently discoursed vpon this subiect I will onely somme vp the points which I haue touched in this Treatise 2. The Diuine Goodnesse considered in it selfe is not onely the first motiue of all but withall the greatest the most noble and most puissant For it is that which doth rauish the Blessed and crowne their Felicitie How can one haue a heart and yet not loue so infinite a goodnesse This subiect is in some sort proposed in the 1. and 2. chap. of the 2. booke and from the 8. chap. of the 3. booke to the end and in the 9. chap. of the 10. booke 3. The 2. motiue is that of Gods supernaturall Prouidence creation and conseruation towards vs according as we haue saied in the 3. cha of the 2. booke 4. The 3. motiue is that of Gods supernaturall Prouidence ouer vs and of the Redemption which he prepared for vs as it is explicated in the 4. 5. 6. and 7. chap. of the 2. booke 5. The 4. motiue is to consider how God doth practise this Prouidence and Redemption giuing euery one the grace and assistance which is requisite to their Saluation which we handle in the 2. booke from the 8. chap. and in the 3. booke from the beginning till the 6. chap. 6. The 5. motiue is the eternall glorie prouided for vs by the diuine goodnesse which is the accomplishment of Gods benefits towards vs and is in some sort touched from the 9. chap. to the end of the 3. booke A profitable methode whereby we may imploy these methods CHAPTER XII 1. NOw to receiue from these motiues a profound and powerfull heate of loue we are after we haue once considered one of them in coÌ„mon to applie it in particular to our selues For example O how amiable this great God is who out of his infinite goodnesse gaue his sonne for the whole worlds redemption alas I for all in generall but also for me who am the first of offenders Ah he hath loued me yea I saie he hath loued euen me yea euen me my selfe such as I am and deliuered himselfe to death for me 2. Secondly we must consider the Diuine benefits in their first and eternall source O God Tâ—â—O what loue can we haue sufficiently worthy of the infinit goodnesse of our Creatour who froÌ„ all eternitie determined to create conserue gouerne redeeme saue and glorifie all in generall and in particular Ah what was I then when I was not my selfe I saie who now being some thing am yet but a simple and poore worme of the earth while yet God from the Abisse of his eternitie thought thoughts of benediction in my behalfe He considered and designed yea determined the houre of my birth of my baptisme of all the inspirations that he would bestow vpon me in a word for all the benefits which he would doe and offer me alas is there a sweetenesse like to this 3. Thirdly we must consider the Diuine benefits in their second meritorious source for doe you not know THEO that the high Priest of the law wore vpon his backe and bosome the names of the children of Israel that is the precious stones vpon which the chiefe of the Israelites were engraueÌ„ Ah behold IESVS our High Priest and consider him from the very instant of his conception how he bore vs vpon his shoulders vndertaking the charge to redeeme vs by his death and death of the Crosse ô THEO THEO this soule of our Sauiour knew vs all by name and surname but especially vpon the day of his passion when he offered his teares his praiers his blood and life for all he breathed in particular for thee these thoughts of loue Ah my eternall Father I take vpon me and to my charge all poore THEO sinns to vndergoe torments and death that he may be freed from them and that he may not perish but liue Let me die so he may liue let me be crucified so that he may be glorified ô the soueraigne Loue of IESVS his heart what heart can euer blesse thee so deuotely as it ought 4. So within his fatherly breast his Diuine heart foresaw disposed merited and obtained all the benefits which we haue not onely in generall for all but also in particular for euery one and his sweete dugges prouided for vs the milke of his motions draughtes inspiratioÌ„s and sweetenesse by which he doth draw conduct and nurish our hearts to eternall life Benefits doe not in â—â—ame vs vnlesse we behold the eternall will which ordaines them for vs and the heart of our Sauiour that merited them for vs by so many paines especially in his death and passion That the Mount of Caluarie is the true Academie of Loue. CHAPTER XIII 1. NOw in finall conclusion the death and PassioÌ„ of our Sauiour is the sweetest aÌ„d yet most violent motiue that caÌ„ animate our hearts in this mortall life And it is the very truth that mysticall Bees make their most excelleÌ„t honie within this Lyon's wouÌ„d of the Tribe of Iuda but chered rent and torne vpon the Mount of Caluarie and the children of the Crosse glorie in their admirable Probleme which the word vnderstaÌ„ds not Oâ—t of all deuouring death râ—se the life of our consolation and out of death which is the strongest of all things the honie sweetenesse of our loue did issue O IESVS my Sauiour how amiable is thy death since it is the soueraigne effect of thy Loue. 2. And indeede aboue in heauenly glorie next to the motiue of the diuine goodnesse knowne aÌ„d coÌ„siâ—erâ—d in it selfe that of the death of our Sauiour shall be the most powerfull to rauish the hearts of the Blessed with the loue of God in signe whereof MOYSES and HELIE in the Transfiguration which was a scantling of glorie spoke with our Sauiour of the Excesse which he was to accomplish in Hierusalem but of what excesse if not of that excesse of Loue by which life was forced from the Louer to be bestowed vpon the beloued So that in the eternall Canticle I imagine that ioyfull acclamation will be iterated each moment Lâ—ue IESVS liue whose death doth prooue What is the force of heauenly loue 3. THEO the mount Caluarie is the mount of Louers All loue that begi s not from our Sauiours Passion is friuolous and dangerous Accursed is death without the Loue of our Sauiour Accursed is Loue without the death of our Sauiour Loue and death are so mingled in the passion of our Sauiour that one cannot haue the one in his heart without the other Vpon Caluarie one caÌ„not haue life without Loue nor loue without the death of our Redeemour But out of that all is either eternall death or eternall Loue Christian wisdome consisteth in making a good choice and to assist you in that I vndertookâ— this Treatise my THâ—O While this short day doth last Make choice ô man thou mayst To liue eternally Or else for ere to dye It is the Heauens Decree There should no middle be O eternall Loue my soule doth desire and make choice of thee eternally ah come ô holy Ghost and inflame our hearts with thy Loue Either loue or die die or loue To die to all other Loue to liue to that of IESVS that we may not eternally die but that liuing in thy eternall loue ô Sauiour of our soules we may eternally singe VIVE IESVS I loue IESVS liue IESVS whom I loue I loue IESVS who liueth and raigneth for euer and euen Amen 4. These things THEO which by the grace and helpe of Charitie haue bene written to your Charitie I beseech GOD they may take roote in your heart that this Charitie may find in you the fruits of holy workes not the leaues of prayses Amen God be blessed Thus I shut vp this whole Treatise in the words with which S. AVGVSTINE ended his admirable sermon of Charitie made before an illustrious assemblie The end of this present Treatise ERRATA Pag Lin Faults Coâ—rectâ—â— 9 28 it being desired if being desired 28 7 Hâ—rodiadas Herodias 45 16 this in this 51 22 Alliance Couenant 58 23 expired breathed out 63 33 Principale prâ—nciple 64 9 soules soule 88 33 peace peece 128 8 her herselfe 169 14 or where 188 21 begiues giues 109 4 light a True God Light true God 209 18 their his 237 28 Seeing a Seer 266 17 owes ewes 293 11 deseased deceased 332 3 for for we neuer loue that which 334 8 uen heauen 359 14 exteriour interiour 381 27 Pallas Pallace 393 32 And to it this And this is it 430 1 Maisters Maisters Passion 461 12 Epthitheme Eâ—itheme 479 19 Pipins Kernells 546 18 at and 568 30 to Gods submissioÌ„ to God submissioÌ„ 592 24 Sauâ—our out Sauiour brought him out 603 6 God good 660 13 honie oyle 694 7 Charitie Chastitie 788 17 word world