Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	great_a	lord_n	sin_n	5,822	5	4.5349	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68048	The rule of perfection contayning a breif and perspicuous abridgement of all the wholle spirituall life, reduced to this only point of the (vvill of God.) Diuided into three partes. The first treating of the exteriour will of God, contayning the actiue life. The second of the interiour vvill contayning the contemplatiue life. The third of the essentiall vvill concerning the life supereminent. Composed by the R.F. Benet Capucin, preacher, of the holie order of Saint Francis, novv of the prouince of France, heertofore called VV. Fitch, of Canfeld in Essex.; Règle de perfection. Part 1-2. English.	Benoît, de Canfield, 1562-1610.	1609 (1609)	STC 10928.3; ESTC S115066	90,218	200

Assuerus the other in viewing that of Salomon what marueill may it seeme to the sowlle to see so excessiue loue and goodnes of Allmightie God himself toward her But what are these flowres which may so support and prop her vp in her languishment but the examples of Iesus Christ the which shee desireth to imitate sayeng within her self I desire to forgoe and renounce my owne will by his example for the vvill of God and be obedient therunto vntill death as hee was and to annihilate my self like him to the end I may render some parte of my debts to that vnmeasurable goodnes I languish of the wownds which loue hath made in my heart with the arrowe called Sagitta electa the choise arrowe the which that diuine Archer whoe is Charitie hath shot into my heart estosoones vpon his Manifestation vnto mee and whoe also like a good Archer hath followed his arrowe so that both are fixed in my heart and lodged in my bowells as it is sayd Ad●eum ●eniemus mansionem apud eum faciemus VVee will come and will abide with him Behold this arrowe is all on fier and neuer cometh but to kindle this fier in our land the heat therof burneth mee the loue inflameth mee the ardour melteth and dissolueth mee like wax before the fier consuming all my forces and in fine maketh mee to die vnto my self and liue to God and how farther this arrowe perceth and my wownd is greater so much more incurable is my languor and holsome my hurt And therefore is it that I entreat yow to support mee with the flowres and examples of Iesus Christ and to strengthen mee with the apples of odoriferant prayers for loe these flowres and frutes are as pillars wheron I rest mee and ame borne vp as being as hard as Adamant high as heauen of depth bottomlesse of durance endlesse See heer how this holie sowlle speaketh rapt in admiration of this infinite goodnesse and wholly infiered and inflamed with the ardēt loue of her heauenly spouse and not hable to containe any lōger breaketh out through excesse of feruor into inward tearmes and boyling acts tearmes and acts vnderstood rather of God then of herself and is by this meanes highly lifted vp to God and by how much the more shee admireth him so much more is her eleuation and so much the cleerer and essentiall her discouerie and view of the diuine will and sweete pleasure of God and by how much more shee admireth him so much the higher is her eleuation and reciprocally how much higher is her eleuation so much the more shee admireth him and is made therby so much the more capable of that goodnesse But note that I meane not that explicitè the sowlle rest and stay on these three poynts nor that shee practice them by way of consideration but rather that they present them selfes generally vnto her as diuine lights shee not leauing of the Contemplation of the diuine will to seeke them but wholly and continually remayning fixed therin Of Humiliation the 3. degree CHAP. IIII. AFTER this Admiration ensueth Humiliation a degree which followeth immediately after hauing discried and admired the diuine immensity and omnipotencie in that the sowlle hath cleerly seene that God is euery whear as hauing seene him without and within her aboue and belowe her on euery side and rownd about her and after hauing perfectly perceiued that God is more inwardly within her then shee herself moreouer hauing knowne his goodnesse tasted his sweetnesse seene his beauty enioyed his familiaritie and experimented in her his liuely and efficacious Inaction his sweet and secret operation his strong and violent attraction and finally after hauing compared her vilitie her mallice her nothing with the immense glorie and goodnesse of God shee beginneth to produce profownd though most secret and subtile acts of humilitie sayeng one while with S. Peter Recede â me quia homo peccator sum Depart from mee for loe I ame a sinfull wight And anon with S. Elizabeth Et vndê hoc mihi VVhence and from what goodnesse cometh it that God vouchesafeth thus to come and visit mee Otherwhiles againe with S. Peter Tu mihi lauas pedes Comest thow to wash the feete of my muddy and earthly affections through thy heauenly and familiar condescent and chearishings thow my Lord and God of all glorie wilt thow through the familiar and delitious operation of thy diuine will thus daigne to disgust mee of myne owne bitter and abiect will what thow that art the king of kings and Lord of Lords wilt thow abase thy self so lowe as to conioyne thy will with myne and operate so familiarly with in and by it and endure that it doe one and the fame act with in and by thy diuine will Lord I ame affrighted at this noueltie astonished at this bounty and ouerwhelmed with this glorie and maiestie and ame not hable to endure so great abatement of thy greatnesse nor sustaine so great a flashe of thy splendure nor comprehend such excesse of goodnesse nor abide so strong assalt of so infinit loue Recede â me Lord depart from mee a sinner Et dimitte me paululùm vt plangam dolorem meum And leaue mee a while to wayle my sinnes els Non lauabis mihi pedes in aeternum Thow shalt not wash the feete of my passions and affections with thy familiar blandishments and heauenly delices To whom as to her that vnderstandeth not as yet that mysterie God answereth Quod ego facio tu nescis modò scies autem postea VVhat I doe thow knowest not now thow shalt know it heerafter As if hee would saye My spouse thow vnderstandest not the effect and consequence of this my worke thinke not that I doe it only to manifest vnto thee my benignitie but also to releiue thy necessitie for why Si non lauero te non habebis partem mecum Vnlesse I washe thee thow shalt haue no parte with mee if by the tract of my spirit I plucke thee not out of thy fleshe if by the tast of my true pleasure I make thee not forgoe the false if with the rellish of my heauenly sweetnes I make thee not distast the earthly if by the peace of my will and pleasure I free thee not from the warre of thy passions if by a ioy in my will I make thee not forsake thine owne if finally by a supernaturall contentment and repose I make thee not cast of that of nature thow shalt remaine euer thine owne and allwayes in thy self hauing the feet of thy affections still fowlle and soyled with earthly myer and consequently canst haue no parte with mee in that goodly Citty of mine wherinto Nuliū intrabit coinquinatum No defiled thing shall enter and therfore by this my liuely efficatious sweet and familiar operation in and with thee it pleaseth mee to wash and make cleane thy feete to weet the inferiour

very much for it is thear as they say whear the Hare goeth away and wherin consisteth true aduancement Note also that though allwayes hee ought so to direct his intention whensoeuer hee beginneth to doe or suffer any thing sayeng I will doe or suffer this oh Lord for thy will this is to be vnderstood of all those tymes when hee is distracted and thinketh not already of the same will nor hath his spirit lifted vp to God and not when hee hath it so eleuated as it may happen especially if hee be diligent and the worke be shorte and not distractiue of it self For if after such direction of intention at the beginning hee be diligent in turning away his mind togeather with his eyes and other sences from all exterior things and fixing his spirit in this will and diuine pleasure and be attētiue only vnto God hee may still remaine vnited vnto him vntill hee take in hand some other thing Likewise the worke being soone done or els being not distractiue but rather drawing the soule to deuotion and towards God as in singing hymnes or diuine seruice a man may haue his mind still lifted vp which if so it be I say not that hee direct a new his intention taking in hand a new thing but that hee so still remaine with his mind so eleuated vnto God for if hee doe otherwise hee should rather descend lower then be raised higher though perhaps this case falleth not out often but that hee hath his mind distracted and the intention crooked or at least not so vpright but that the mind may be more recollected and the intention more rectified Neuerthelesse a man must not be scrupulous if hee faile in this degree and some others as though hee had committed some synne seing the desire hee hath to practise this Rule doth add no new obligation Of the second degree of perfect Intention CHAP. IX THE second degree of this mysticall Throne of pure intention and diuine will is Only that is that this will be theyr only simple and alone the end which moueth the mind to doe or suffer the thing VVhich degree excludeth all other ends and intentions whatsoeuer and first the euill and malitious intentions as to doe the thing for pride enuie couetousnes gluttonie c. Secondy all imperfect end and intentions as to doe the thing for humaine respect fauor of men self loue proper complacence seruile feare sensualitie particular profit and the like and in somme all veniall synnes and whatsoeuer is absolutlie of her owne nature imperfection Finally heerby is excluded not only the euill intētion and that which is of it owne nature imperfect but also that which is of her nature good but comparatiuely bad namely compared with a better as to doe penance discipline fast to eschew the paines of hell to merit to be rewarded to goe to heauen and the like which intentions though they be good in them selfes yet are they not so compared with the only vvill of God which is farr better as hath bein shewed and are therfore heer excluded VVherfore this degree and perfection especially appertaineth and is referred to the mortification of all our passions and affections selfe loue vntemperate desires and all other imperfections all which as bad weedes springing vp in the fertile grownd of our good works are rooted out with this fitt instrument or degree of Onely and as crooked boughes shooting out of the straight tree of our intention are cutt of with the sharpe sword of the onely vvill of God the same being as is said a right rule to measure whether the line of our intention be drawne straight or no. VVherfore let the deuout Reader take this for a generall and infallible Rule that whensoeuer in his worke he hath not this sole intention and onely vvill of God for his end without any mixture of other intention whatsoeuer it hath in it imperfection be it neuer so secretly hidden yea from the partie himself but assoone as this only will beareth sway and taketh entire possession of the heart all darknes is discouered by the light therof and all obscuritie of imperfection is cast out by the shining brightnes of the same Oh how often are wee deceiued for want of this light how straight thinke wee to be our intention how holie our desire how excellent our worke how good an opinion haue wee of our selfes but assoone as this light cometh downe must goe the Peacocks feathers seing now her fowlle feet so soyled and loaden with earthly affections durtie passions muddie proprietie and swinishe self loue for so soone as this right Rule of Gods vvill is applied vnto our intention wee see the crookednes of intēperance and disordinate desire therof All the world goeth awry because they will not by this Rule square their intentions nor by this light examin their actions In this point therfore let the deuout person labour heerin let his whole studdie be in this worke let him recollect and employ all his forces namely in thus examining his intention in all his affaires for heerin consisteth all true spirituall profitt this is the infallible fowndation in the beginning the secure way in proceeding and the consummated perfection in the end of all the Actiue life The third degree of perfect Intention CHAP. X. THE third degree of this Throne is that this intention be vvillingly that is that the work be done not only for Gods only will but also willingly and with full consent with a certaine repose peace trāquillitie and spirituall contentment therin that the soule may be made capable of the presence of God and influence of his holie spirit Quia factus est in pace locus eius His place and abode is in peace that is in the soule not disquieted with the noise of troublesome affections and contradicting passions nor with the tract of contrarie desires drawing her another way By this degree therfore of vvillingnesse and contentment is excluded and shutt out all sadnesse heauinesse and vnwillingnesse in doing leauing vndone or suffering any thing commaunded by any of the lawes aboue said of what cause soeuer such vnwillingnesse proceed Farther this vnwillingnesse and contradiction may spring of diuers causes and namely of the thing commaunded as when it is base abiect and vile as to visit prisons to attend the sicke or doe the offices of the house also when the thing is vnpleasant sharpe and bitter as discipline abstinence or fasting likewise when it is against our profit as restitution hospitalitie or almesdeeds and finally when it is against our worldly honor as to support patiently euill spightfull or slanderous words reproches and all kind of iniuries Againe this Vnwillingnesse may come by occasion of the partie that commaundeth as because hee is or is thought to be simple poore or vnlearned or that hee is his enemy or at least not his freind or hath done or spoken somewhat vnkindly to him Likewise it may come in

in cubiculum genitricis meae I haue caught him and will not let him goe vntill I bring him into my mothers house and into her chamber which brought mee forth I haue caught him to weet by the six internall acts and degrees aforesaid and will not let him goe by my negligence and coldnes but will keepe him with great vigilance and will cherish him by intimate affection and ardent loue vntill I bring him into my mothers house the churche by vertuous ●ife good example or preaching and ●●to her chamber which brought mee forth namely into my particular Order by a ●eligious life and celestiall contemplation and so cherishing him dayly in my soule will make him repose on this seat of Continuation and I shall prepare this Throne with the six degrees for my ●●rue king Salomon Quem laudant simul astra maatina VVhom the morning stars together do raise Loe how this holie soule speaketh for the instruction consolation and encouragement of others which are not as yet so perfect and so farre aduanced Neither ought any man to think that ●ee put or constitut too many degrees in his intention because that euen of it self being perfect it hath them all and that without them it can not be perfect though in liew of their being thear implicitè or obscurely wee haue declared them explicitè and more cleerly to the end wee may well and perfectly discerne of our interiour which is the point of greatest importance of all and for want of which verie spirituall men often remaine in darknes seing also 2 they bring so great profit and light eleuating the soule to such a high degree as may appear by what is aboue said in this chapter seing finally 3 though wee haue thus distinguished them the better to discerne of the said intention and to examin the same therby yet notwithstanding by one only feruent and vertuou act they be all effected and brought forth togeather and that with the same facilitie and no otherwise then if wee had not distinguished them Hovv all mortifications and virtues and the true imitation of Christs life and passion are perfectly practised by this rule and exercise CHAP. XVI CONCERNING the mortifications and vertues and likewise touching the imitation of our Sauiour in his life and passion which are so necessarie as without them in vaine a man aspireth to spirituall life as the breuitie of this abridgement doth not permit to treat of them directly but onely indirectly so is it not necessarie seing they are cleerly seene and most perfectly practised in this vvill of God which though it be manifest by the second chapter declaring how all perfections are heerin contained euerie one wherof containeth all mortifications and vertues yet for better satisfaction of all men that would sollow this rule it seemeth not amisse to shew it by examples VVhoesoeuer then is greiuously and iniustly persecuted and supporteth and patiently endureth the same according to the foresaid documēts of the vvill of God whoe would haue it so such a one shall mortifie the passion of enuie practise the vertue of patience and imitate our Sauiour whoe in like persecution had like patience Likewise hee that being mocked and with ●utragious speaches reuiled and keepeth silence for this only will and pleasure of God hall mortifie the passion of anger practise ●he vertue of meeknes and imitate our Sauiour whoe when hee was blaspheamed and mocked of the Iewes behaued him self in like manner So also hee that washeth the feet of some poore Pilgrim or of his brethren as the custome is in religious houses with this pure intention hee shall mortifie the vice of pride practise the vertue of humilitie and imitate our Sauiour washing the feet of his Apostles Againe whoe for the only pleasure of God prayeth for those that doe him open iniurie and seeke his death shall mortifie the passion of Reuenge exercise the virtue of charitie and imitate our Sauiour whoe prayed for those that persecuted him and put him to death Moreouer hee that with this only end and motiue of Gods vvill answereth not when hee is falsly accused discretion alwayes presupposed shall mortifie self loue practise the vertue of silence and followe heerin Iesus Christ whoe answered nothing to the false witnesse brought in against him I might bring infinite other like example to this end but wee will conclude with this which comprehendeth all others namely that whensoeuer a man according to this Rule doth any thing disagreable to sensualit●● or affection and leaueth any thing pleasant or agreable to the same for to doe the vvill of God hee mortifieth the proper will practiseth the vertue of Resignation and imitateth our sweet Sauiour whoe said I come not to doe myne ovvne vvill but the vvill of my father vvhoe sent mee Behold then how it appeareth that whensoeuer a man doth practise this exercise or rule of life hee perfectly practiseth therwith all the mortification vertue and imitation of the life and passion of our Sauiour Christ whoe in all things sought to doe the will of his father VVhear is to be noted that in the said life and passion of our Sauiour are twoe things to weet the paines or torments which hee suffered and the end wherfore hee suffered them namely to doe the will of his father both which wee ought to imitate as a paterne and example of our life himself sayeng Exemplum dedi vobis I haue giuen yow an example and if it had not bein to haue giuen vs an example what needed hee to haue suffered so much seing one only dropp of his blood yea his only will had bein sufficient to haue redeemed vs. Now of these twoe things some want the one and some the other As for those that want the first namely suffering with Christ I wish them to heare the wordes of Sainct Peter sayeng Christus passus est pro nobis vobis relinquens exemplum vt sequamini vestigia eius Christ hath suffered for vs leauing to yow an example that yow might followe his stepps and of S. Paule St compatimur conglorificabimur If wee suffer togeather wee shall also be glorIfied togeather and likewise of S. iohn Qui dicit se in ipso manere debet si●ut ille ambulauit ipse ambulare VVhoe sayth that hee remaineth in him ought to walke as hee hath walked As for those which fayle in the other to weet in hauing that intention of the only vvill of God in that they doe or suffer they must knowe that they are not so perfect imitators of Iesus Christ as perhaps they thinke though they doe or suffer much because they want one of these twoe things of his imitation namely the end and intention which is without comparison the cheefest of the twoe and so they followe the exterior works of his body but not the interior acts of his soule and conforme themselfes to the exterior humanitie but not

immundicitie babbling and dullnes of witt finally of lechery with her vncleane brood of blyndnes of heart inconsideration precipitation incontinencie loue of himself hatred of God affection of this world and horror of the next Of all which kinds of synnes or temptations of them one may take occasion to renounced his will and so vpon all these matters rehearsed touching the body or the soule a man may haue sufficient matter to practise this exercise of such I say and so palpable things as the verie Nouice and beginner can not but find out and clerly discerne Aswell therfore the Beginners for their instruction and entrance as the others for their excitation and diligence must limit to themselfes euerie day a certaine number of mortifications taken of these things aboue said and especially of those wherin they find them selfes most weake renouncing themselfes therin for the vvill of God not forgetting still to view and examin in euery one if their pure intention Throne of Iuory whear God great Salomon sitteth be eleuated and established on the six degrees aboue said And so both the Beginners shall easilie be brought to the true discerning and knowledge of their interiour which is a thing of great importance and altogeather necessarie and the others shal be continually kept profitablie in their exercise and both the one and the other shall make great aduancement and progresse in the same VVhear notwithstanding is to be noted that our meaning is not by the particular practise of this chapter to acquit them of the generall and continuall ●in all other things as though it were suffi●tiēt for a man to practise this rule only at those tymes and in those things which hee hath ●in this order limitted out and bownd himself vnto for our meaning is that hee should continually in all things practise the same 〈◊〉 hath bein taught as well and as diligently as hee can and that ouer and besides that generall care and practise incertaine and vnlimitted hee should haue this particular carefull practise therof thus tasked and limited out and that for the causes in the beginning of this chapter aboue alleaged Of tvvoe errors vvhich may happen in this exercise vvith their remedies CHAP. XVIII VVEE think it heer necessarie● to giue an aduertisment of twoe errors and contrarie extremities which may happen in the practise of this Rule The first is of those which may be likened to Iacob whoe assoone as hee was married vnto Rachel figuring the contemplatiue life dispised Lia representing the actiue life for seing cleerly and perfectly the whole actiue life so breifly in this Compendium they may easily comprehend the same and so perchance● may think that that suffiseth without any farther practise therof Againe seing themselfes so eleuated euen at the first true and saythfull practise of this Rule and transported as it were into the contemplatiue life they would willingly remaine therin for the sweetnes they find in such contemplation For remedie wherof they must vnderstand that it is not inough to haue the Actiue life by only speculation but must also haue it by practise and that it is not sufficient to know what they ought to doe and how they ought to practise vertue or extirpate vice which knowledge by this Rule is easily had but they must also put the same in practise by rooting but vice and planting vertue vntill such tyme as they haue acquired some good habit therof For though this Rule and way aboue all other giueth a merueilous aduantage and aduancement both in the knowledge and practise of the Actiue life yet can it not make a man perfect therin vnlesse hee ioyne therto faythfull practise So that though by the ●ight of this exercise a man knoweth the actiue life and seeth as it were presently a gate open to the contemplatiue for the great affinitie and likenes of this kind of actiue life with that which is comtemplatiue yet must hee not at the first enter so farre therin as to cast of the actiue as if hee had not any more need to practise himself therin but must still pursue the mortification of himself and his passions which hee shall more sufficiently and speedily doe by this rule then any other the faythfull practise wherof effecteth in twoe or three moonthes that which some others doe not in so many yeares The other error and contrarie extremitie which heer may happen is of those whoe being too much addicted to the administration of Mariea will not choose the better parte with Martha hauing so great affection to the actiue life that they would not proceed to the contemplatiue and all because they know not the excellency therof whear we● meane not only of the exterior actiue life but especiallie of the interior consisting in the acts of the intelligence and of the will For some seing themselfes draw as it were by the hand out of the actiue life and from their accustomed acts of discourses meditation and aspirations and as it were forced by this right Rule to fix the full force of their mind in this only vvill of God and wholie to adhear therto wherin consisteth the pure and essentiall contemplation they know not whear they are nor how to behaue themselfes and so turne away and cast of such naked and pure contemplation esteeming that the spirituall practise of the mind hath neither profit nor yet any veritie which is not accompanied with such their accustomed acts and discourses of the wit For remedie then of this error and for the casting of of these superfluous acts and first for those of the Intelligence the practiser of this Rule must know that our interiour is not made perfect nor the true contemplation gotten by such discourses and speculation which are the acts of the vnderstanding but by feruour loue and affection which are the acts of the will because that no speculation of the Intelligence can possesse or enioy God but the loue of the will and therfore S. Denis sayth Suppositae Deitenebrae cooperiuntur omni lumine absconduntur omni cognitioni si aliquis videns Deum intellexit quod vidit non it sum vidit sed aliquid quod est eius The hidden darknes of God which hee calleth the abundance of light are vnknowne to all lights and kept secret from all knowledge and if any one seing God hath vnderstood what hee sawe hee hath not seene him but somewhat appertayning vnto him for the speculation of the Intelligence doth proportion God allmightie infinite and incomprehensible to our smalle capacitie but contrariewise the will by loue proportioneth it self in some degree to the immensitie infinitie and omnipotencie of God so that the operation of the Intelligence maketh God like vnto man causing him as it were to descend vnto vs but the loue of the VVill maketh man like vnto God eleuating the soule vnto him Finally this speculation of the Intelligence is a humaine thing making vs remaine in our selfes but the